Maria Furtwängler

Maria Furtwängler-Burda, born on 13 September 1966, is a German physician and television actress. She is widely recognized for her performance roles in German television and film productions, as well as her background as a medical professional and her involvement in various social and charitable organizations.

Furtwängler is the daughter of architect Bernhard Furtwängler and actress Kathrin Ackermann. She is the great-niece and step-granddaughter of conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, the granddaughter of politician Katharina von Kardorff-Oheimb, and has two older brothers, David and Felix. At seven years old, she received her first movie role in Goodbye with Mums, produced by her uncle Florian Furtwängler. Her mother taught her acting, and she took further acting classes in Germany and abroad. After secondary school, she studied medicine at the University of Montpellier in France and graduated from LMU Munich in Germany, later training and working as a medical doctor.

Furtwängler began her professional acting career in the mid-1990s. Since 2002, she has portrayed Hanover-based police detective Charlotte Lindholm in the television series Tatort. Her notable projects also include the television movies March of Millions and Die Schicksalsjahre, as well as the film production The Weather Inside. In 2022, she chaired an independent jury that selected Edward Berger's All Quiet on the Western Front for the 95th Academy Awards in the Best International Feature Film category.

Her acting work has earned her several accolades, including the German Television Award for Best Actress in 2007 for Tatort, Jupiter Awards in 2008 and 2013, a Goldene Kamera in 2008, a Romy in 2009, and the 2morrow-Award in Moscow for The Weather Inside. She was also awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2003 for her commitment to German Doctors, the Bavarian Order of Merit in 2007, and the Karl Valentin Order in 2010.

In her personal life, Furtwängler married publisher Hubert Burda on 8 November 1991. The couple has two children, Jakob, born in 1990, and Elisabeth, born in 1992.

Furtwängler is actively involved in civic initiatives focused on public health, women's rights, and media representation. In 2010, she founded MALISAhome in the Philippines, and she is a co-founder of the MaLisa Foundation. She served as a goodwill ambassador for the ONE Campaign and supported reforms regarding sexual violence legislation in Germany. Additionally, she serves in board and trustee roles for organizations including German Doctors for Developing Countries, the Hubert Burda Foundation, the Dominik Brunner Foundation, Stiftung Lesen, and Celesio.