A “crime scene” with a difference
Axel Prahl bought the bed in which Roland Kaiser died
November 9, 2025 – 17:53Reading time: 2 minutes
Axel Prahl provides insight into his life on “Riverboat” – and surprises us with a strange story from the Münster “crime scene” prop room.
In the MDR talk “Riverboat”, actor Axel Prahl talked about personal stages in his life and also presented his current book “What you love takes time”. In addition to the biographical topic, it was discussed that the 65-year-old kept props from the previous filming of “Tatort” – with a very special relationship with singer Roland Kaiser.
Moderator Kim Fisher wanted to know more about whether the rumor that Prahl owned the bed where Roland Kaiser died was true. The pop singer died serially for a scene in “Tatort.” “Yes, I bought it and kept it,” Prahl confirmed with a smile.
Prahl recalled that he spoke to the designer at the time: “I know the designer well and he said: ‘Wow, we bought this beautiful bed at a high price and now we don’t know what to do with it’ and then I said ‘Well, if Roland Kaiser dies in it’.”
The television appearance to which the story refers is twelve years ago: in 2013, Roland Kaiser appeared in “Tatort: Summ, hum, hum” as fictional pop singer Roman König. In this episode, his character dies from allergic shock from a bee sting. In addition to Kaiser, Axel Prahl and Jan Josef Liefers stand in front of the camera as the famous investigative duo Thiel and Boerne.
Prahl fondly recalls the times we spent together: “We became friends during filming and have been more or less inseparable ever since. But he was also very kind.”
However, as Prahl explained in the conversation, the bed was not in his bedroom, but in the storeroom. Co-host Joachim Llambi elicited a brief laugh when he asked dryly: “Have you guys slept together?” – “Not yet,” Prahl answered with a wink.
