Hagen von Lahnstein

Casting

In late 2010 the producers of Verbotene Liebe decided to introduce another member of the Lahnstein family. In order to do that part of the history of the family was rewritten. Sebastian von Lahnstein was originally named as Ludwig's eldest son and caretaker of the family while Ludwig had to spend years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. With the announcement of the casting of Tom Viehöfer as Hagen von Lahnstein, he was named the eldest son who left the family and didn't have any connections to his family in almost two decades. The writers used this fact to explain why Hagen wasn't mentioned prior to his arrival. Viehöfer filmed his first scenes in October 2010 and was first seen on-screen on 14 January 2011. Hagen was introduced to the show with a major love triangle with two sisters. Viehöfer didn't match the producers vision for the role and was recast after only a few months. Christoph Mory took over the role who previously worked with the production company UFA on the telenovela Bianca - Wege zum Glück. Viehöfer last appeared on 18 May 2011. Mory took over the role on-screen on 23 May 2011.

Christoph Mory played the role for two years. After this his contract wasn't renewed and Mory left the show with his on-screen father Krystian Martinek (Ludwig) on 23 April 2013. Hagen and Ludwig went missing on a boat trip and soon would both be declared dead. Mory returned a year later together with Martinek to give viewers closure to what happened to both characters. Christoph Mory returned on 5 May 2014. New flashbacks were shown which saw Ludwig dying in his son's arms after promising that he would take over as his heir if he ever would get back home. Mory stayed for another four months and will leave the show again with his on-screen wife Diane Willems (Dana) on 10 September 2014.

Background

Hagen von Lahnstein is the eldest child of Ludwig von Lahnstein. He has four younger siblings, Sebastian von Lahnstein, Helena von Lahnstein and Tristan von Lahnstein and Rebecca von Lahnstein. After the death of his mother, with his father supposedly dead as well, he refused to take care of his siblings, leaving the family and letting Sebastian do all the work.

Storylines

After over a decade since a terrible falling out with his siblings, Hagen returns to his family in January 2011 to help his father Ludwig battle leukemia by donating his bone marrow. His siblings aren't too happy to see him. His brother Sebastian confronts Hagen with the fact that he walked out on the family and left him alone to take care of his younger siblings. After a while Sebastian and Hagen try get past everything that happened. Hagen returns to Königsbrunn Castle and starts to become the caretaker of the family-owned stud farm. Hagen marries his girlfriend Marlene Wolf but soon develops feelings for her younger sister Dana. Hagen and Dana try to fight their feelings for each other but soon start having an affair. When the truth is revealed, Marlene and Hagen get a divorce.

Hagen and Dana become a couple and after making peace with Marlene, the two get married. After the wedding, the couple decides to try to have a baby. Then Dana is confronted with not being able to take a baby to the full term. They look for other options and decide to go for surrogacy which is forbidden by German law. As their plan doesn't work out the couple starts having problems. One night, a drunk Hagen ends up sleeping with Jessica Stiehl which further damages his relationship with Dana. But Hagen and Dana can work through their differences and as Jessica discovers that she's pregnant the three of them decide to raise the baby together. Jessica gives birth to a baby boy which she names Maximilian.

In mid-2013, Hagen and Ludwig go missing during a storm in the Caribbean while on a boat trip and are presumed dead. Hagen reappears a year later. Ludwig and Hagen spend months on a desert island before Ludwig dies in his son's arms. Before he dies, Ludwig makes Hagen promise that if he ever gets home he'd take over as the head of the family for him. Hagen returns after a year and tries to win back Dana who just started a new relationship with Ricardo Mendes. Hagen wins Dana back but his obsession with taking over as Ludwig's heir becomes a serious problem for their marriage. When Max turns sick and needs to move to the North sea to live a healthy life, Hagen isn't sure if he's ready to give up on his father's dying wish. After Max' condition worsens, Hagen decides to step down as head of the family and move away with Dana and Jessica.

When the family is unable to vote a new head, Hagen decides to solve the conflict. He uses his father's blood from a knife that he brought back from the island to forge another will of Ludwig's. In this will it says that Hagen could define his successor if he's unable to do it himself. Hagen wants his stepmother Elisabeth to take over. After Elisabeth sees how much the conflict over the position as head of the family is hurting the family she agrees. Sebastian and Hagen's cousin Ansgar are shocked and want to check if the will is real. When it's proven that the will is written in Ludwig's blood the family accepts it as Ludwig's last wish. Hagen reconciles with Sebastian who has been estranged to him since his return before leaving his life on Königsbrunn Castle behind and moving away with Dana, Jessica and Max.