His biggest success occurred in the German Democratic Republic, where he was considered one of the most famous actors of the time.

Geschonneck was born in Bartenstein, East Prussia (now Bartoszyce, Poland), the son of a poor shoemaker.

[2] Immediately following the war, Geschonneck acted in theaters in Hamburg, Germany, and made his film debut in 1947 in In jenen Tagen.

He subsequently moved to East Germany, worked with Bertolt Brecht, and became a successful actor.

His last film, made in 1995 for the German television network ARD, was Matulla und Busch [de], where he played alongside veteran actor Fred Delmare.