Farewell to Hubert Kramar: Tatort” veteran leaves the Vienna investigative team!

Farewell to Hubert Kramar: Tatort” veteran leaves the Vienna investigative team!

The Viennese “Tatort” will soon have to say goodbye to one of its most colorful characters: Hubert Kramar, who has played Colonel Ernst Rauter since 2005, is withdrawing from the popular crime series after more than 20 years. The 77-year-old actor recently confirmed his departure on the ORF program “Guten Morgen Österreich”. This farewell comes while Bibi Fellner (Adele Neuhauser) and Moritz Eisner (Harald Krassnitzer) are only investigating a few cases, which makes the future of the Vienna “crime scene” even more uncertain. “That was very touching,” says Kramar, describing his farewell to Rauter, who acted as the “voice of reason” in the investigative team while Eisner and Fellner often used unconventional methods.

The trio's final performance is entitled “We are heroes”. The filming of this special chapter will continue until mid-November 2026, while viewers will have to wait for it to air at the end of 2026. Kramar, who was asked for additional days of filming at short notice, remains the question of his successor. There are no official decisions on this yet, but speculation is already circulating.

A piece of television history

“Tatort” is an indispensable part of the German-language television landscape and has been running since 1970. Sophisticated investigative craftsmanship meets the different cultural backgrounds of the cities involved. Each regional station produces different episodes, giving the format a remarkable diversity. Kramar's Rauter was the figure who built a bridge between the different investigative approaches and thus shaped the nature of this format. The series has already produced over 1,000 episodes and broadcasts new episodes weekly on Sunday evenings on Das Erste.

Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) has been an integral part of the “Tatort” since 1971, which also causes a stir with its own investigative teams. The individual episodes, each around 90 minutes long, allow for deeper character development and offer space for social issues and critical discussions - features that continue to keep “Tatort” popular.

The influence of “Tatort”

The format has not only made waves on German television, it is also noticed internationally. Over the years, “Tatort” has established itself as a brand that tells unique stories using different locations – from Vienna to Berlin. Every cityscape has its own charm and peculiarities. The background music also remains memorable and consistent over the decades. The legacy of the “crime scene” and characters like Ernst Rauter will remain with viewers in the future, while new generations of investigators have to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors.

An era is ending for Hubert Kramar, and the Viennese crime series will have to continue without his calm, measured influence. It remains exciting to see who will take up their legacy in “Tatort” and what new stories from Vienna are still waiting for us.

For more information about the “crime scene” and its most exciting cases, visit This link. You can also find the official announcement about Hubert Kramar's departure at Ruhr24 while you're on Wikipedia can find out more about the history of the format.