Who is Renate Krößner? The actress celebrated in today's Google Doodle

Head to the Google homepage today and you’ll see a flame-haired woman gazing into the distance.

The Doodle was created in honour of German actress Renate Krößner, who would have turned 78 today.

Krößner was propelled to international stardom after playing the titular role in Solo Sunny – a 1980 East German film about a rebellious singer, which struck a chord with audiences around the world.

Her performance was met with universal critical acclaim, earning her the Best Actress Silver Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival — the first for an East German production.

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For the uninitiated, Germany was split into East and West from 1945-1990: the western bloc was led by the US and the eastern bloc by the USSR, and life on the two sides couldn’t have been more different. The West was a liberal democracy, while the East was essentially a communist state.

Today's Doodle pays tribute to the award-winning movie legendGoogle

Permission had to be granted to anyone who wished to leave the socialist territory, which Krößner obtained in 1985.

After moving to West Berlin, Krößner became a mainstay on hit West German TV shows and continued to wow film critics, racking up a number of prestigious accolades including an RTL Golden Lion.

In 1991, Krößner was a jury member at the 41st Berlin International Film Festivaland she continued acting into the 2000s.

She died following a short illness on 25 May, 2020 at the age of 75. But, as today’s Google Doogle proves, her legacy lives on.

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