Leonard von Lahnstein

Infobox soap character
series = Verbotene Liebe


caption = Lars Korten as Leonard von Lahnstein
name = Leonard von Lahnstein
first= Episode 2173
11 March 2004
title = Count of Lahnstein
parents = Adrian Degenhardt
(biological father)
Francesca von Lahnstein
(mother, deceased)
Johannes von Lahnstein
(legal father, deceased)
siblings = Constantin von Lahnstein
(brother)
Carla von Lahnstein
(maternal half-sister)
Ansgar von Lahnstein
(maternal half-brother)
spouse = Silke Voss
(divorced)
Cécile de Maron
(widowed; 2006, deceased)
Jana Brandner
(widowed; 2007-2008, deceased)
romances = Silke Voss
Isabell Brandner
(affair)
Cécile de Maron
(affair; deceased)
Lydia Schütt
(one-night-stand)
Sarah Hofmann
Jana Brandner
(affair; deceased)
Sarah Hofmann
(one-night-stand)
children = Julius de Maron
(son, with Cécile, died at birth)
relatives = Hannes von Lahnstein
(nephew, via Ansgar)
Sophia von Lahnstein
(niece, via Carla)
gender = Male
residence = Castle Königsbrunn
Düsseldorf, Germany
occupation = Doctor at 'St. Vincenz Hospital'
Founder of the 'Jana von Lahnstein Stiftung'
portrayer = Lars Korten

Dr. Leonard von Lahnstein is a fictional character on German soap opera "Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love)". The character is played by actor Lars Korten since March 11, 2004.

Character's background

Leonard is the son of Adrian Degenhardt (Klaus Zmorek) and the late Francesca von Lahnstein. He is also the brother of Constantin von Lahnstein (Milan Marcus) and the half-brother of Carla von Lahnstein (Claudia Hiersche) and Ansgar von Lahnstein (Wolfram Grandezka). Until 2007 he believed that Johannes von Lahnstein (Thomas Gumpert) is his real father, but a letter from his late mother Francesca sheds another light on the truth and after a DNA-Test it was clear, that Adrian is his biological father.

Leonard is the favorite son of his father Johannes. When he comes home from Chicago, where he worked as doctor, he meets Cécile de Maron (Yvonne Burbach) and knows from the beginning that she is the love of his life. Then he arrives at Königsbrunn and it turns out, that Cécile is Johannes' new wife. Soon, Leonard and Cécile have to deal with their feelings for each other. They try to deny their love, Leonard even marries his former love Silke Voss (Annette Culp) to prove that he can live without Cécile. But his marriage falls apart, when Silke sees Leonard true feelings and gives up. Johannes also comes behind Leonard and Cécile's love and finds out that they had an affair. Johannes files for divorce and wants Leonard out of his life. Cécile tries to bring them back together, when she finds out that she is pregnant and hopes that Johannes finds a way to be a grandfather to their child. He refuses after trying. But when Cécile dies after a terrible car accident, Johannes comes in an hour, where Leonard needs him the most, after he not only lost his wife, which he married only days before the accident, but also his unborn son Julius, who doesn't survive. Leonard soon becomes a drug addict to pain killers, hunted by memories of Cécile.

His family and friends like Jana Brandner (Vanessa Jung) try to help him, when he finally sees that it's worth living again. Then he meets the new maid Sarah Hofmann (Sina-Valeska Jung), who begins to work at Königsbrunn to find out who she really is. Sarah and Leonard fall in love, but their feelings can't last long, when Sarah discovers that she is the daughter to Elke Käppler (Elke Bludau) and her father is no other than Johannes, who had a one-night-stand once with Elke back then. Sarah and Leonard break up, when they find out that they are half-siblings and try to move on. Leonard begins a passionate affair with Jana, while Sarah begins to fall for the attractive Gregor Mann (Andreas Jancke).