“Stromberg is a part of me”
How business founder Markus Wogatzki became an extra in the German version of The Office and developed an AI app for Stromberg video quotes
He’s a superfan of TV cult figure Stromberg and now an extra in the newest remake: Business founder Markus Wogatzki even developed an AI app for Stromberg video quotes.
After ten years of radio silence, “Papa” is back. Fans like Markus Wogatzki know exactly who this refers to. It’s Bernd Stromberg—the prototype of the nightmare boss, played by Christoph Maria Herbst. The German series ran from 2004 to 2012. Stromberg is set in a fictional insurance company called Capitol-Versicherung and portrays its everyday office life. The main protagonist is the department’s unpleasant head Bernd Stromberg. When Wogatzki discovered Stromberg’s desk in the ST3AM workspaces at Rudower Chaussee 28, he could hardly believe his luck: The remake was being filmed in his office!
Eager to get as close to the production as possible, he helped with set construction: “I was taking orders, moving furniture, and mentioned to the props manager that I was a huge fan. She invited me to a casting for background actors.” Wogatzki also had a plan B to get close to his idol: When fans were given the chance to apply as extras, he signed up there too. With thousands of fans competing, his odds were slim.
Because of this, the founder is even more thrilled with the outcome: “It’s the ultimate prize—to be in front of the camera with Herbst, Bjarne Mädel, Oliver Wnuk, Milena Dreißig, and Diana Staehly.” The Stromberg team spent six days filming at ST3AM in early 2025—a lucky find for executive producer Henning Wagner. “We only have a few poignant moments in the film to establish a location. This makes it all the more important that it reads instantly. The bright, open foyer immediately conveys a sense of modernity , and the glass surfaces allowed us to stage background scenes.” That includes Wogatzki’s appearance, filmed from outside as he enters the building and chats with a colleague at her desk.
“In the offices, too, there are these open workspaces. In the new Stromberg, however, they carry a different significance, for which the ST3AM premises were perfectly suited. Architecture and furnishings were very close to what we were looking for,” says Wagner.
Wogatzki is now part of the Stromberg universe, to which he has felt connected since he was 18. “Back in our high school days in Berlin-Neukölln, we were a proper Stromberg gang, and video nights were a frequent occurrence.” Together with three colleagues, Wogatzki now runs v.works UG, a kind of “Tinder for the business world”, matching companies with potential partners, staff, or clients.
Because the IT specialist likes to search for particular scenes from the series, he even developed a web app for quotes from the series. A script written in an efficient programming language scans the contents of thousands of text files with a single click. The script is linked to an AI that generates precise time stamps for every word and every sound in all Stromberg episodes, so the exact spot can be found quickly.” When paired with a video player, it jumps straight to the desired moment. The result is a dynamic meme generator.
What if we look up what office tyrant Stromberg has to say about ”sequels”? “You should quite while you’re ahead. But we’re not ahead, so we keep going.” New Stromberg quotes penned by Ralf Husmann will come out on 4 December 2025, when Arne Feldhusen’s Stromberg – Wieder alles wie immer hits the screens.
Susanne Gietl for Adlershof Journal