Nicola "Nico" von Lahnstein (born as Nicola Brandner) is a fictional character on the German soap opera Verbotene Liebe (Forbidden Love). The character is played by actress Verena Zimmermann, who made her first appearance on 1 October 2002. Much of the character's history revolves around her rebellious teenage years, being the illegitimate daughter of Johannes von Lahnstein, the deep connection shared with her sister Jana, her romance with Andi Fritzsche and marriage to Philipp zu Hohenfelden. Zimmermann took a seven-month break in 2006. She last appeared on 2 February 2006, when the character of Nico left with her grandmother Mimi to travel the world. She returned on 13 September 2006 and stayed for another year before leaving on 11 September 2007. She returned for three episodes from 5 to 7 March 2008 when Nico attended the funeral of her sister Jana. Two years later, Zimmermann signed on to make a return as Nico and first reappeared on 15 April 2010. In late 2011, it was reported that Zimmermann was expecting her first child and would be taking maternity leave. She last appeared on 17 February 2012. In May 2012, it was reported that Zimmermann was back on set and would return for a short stint. Nico returned to attend the funeral of Arno Brandner, appearing on 13 September 2012. Zimmermann later took part in the 2014 web special Die längste Nacht von Königsbrunn.