Fritz Spira (1 August 1881 – c. 1943) was an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

and

film actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), lite ...

. He appeared frequently in films during the silent and early

sound In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by the ...

eras. Spira played the role of the Austrian Emperor

Franz Josef Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

in the 1926 film ''

The Third Squadron ''The Third Squadron'' (german: Die dritte Eskadron) is a 1926 German silent war film directed by Carl Wilhelm and starring Fritz Spira, Eugen Burg, and Reinhold Häussermann. It was shot at the EFA Studios in Berlin and on location in Vie ...

''. Spira had been working in Germany before the

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

takeover in 1933 compelled him to leave because of his

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

background. He went first to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

, then returned to his native Austria. Following the

Anchluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a "Greater Germany" ...

he tried to leave, but was arrested. He would die in 1943 at the Ruma concentration camp in

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

Family

He was married to

Lotte Spira Lotte Spira (; 24 April 1883 – 17 December 1943) was a German stage and film actress. She appeared in supporting roles in around seventy films. She was married to the Austrian actor Fritz Spira in 1905. In 1934 she divorced her Jewish husband ...

from 1905-1934 and was the father of the actresses

Camilla Spira Camilla Spira (1 March 1906 – 25 August 1997) was a German film actress. She appeared in 68 films between 1924 and 1986. She was born in Hamburg, Germany, of Jewish ancestry on her father's side, and died in Berlin, Germany. Her father was ...

and Steffie Spira. Camilla would survive the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

because her mother signed a statement swearing that Fritz was not Camilla's natural father, despite her being an adult.Baer p. 118

Selected filmography

* ''

Ferdinand Lassalle Ferdinand Lassalle (; 11 April 1825 – 31 August 1864) was a Prussian-German jurist, philosopher, socialist and political activist best remembered as the initiator of the social democratic movement in Germany. "Lassalle was the first man in Ger ...

'' (1918) * ''

Countess Maritza ''Gräfin Mariza'' (''Countess Maritza'') is an operetta in three acts composed by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kálmán, with a German libretto by Julius Brammer and Alfred Grünwald. It premiered in Vienna on 28 February 1924 at the Theater an ...

'' (1925) * '' Love and Trumpets'' (1925) * ''

A Free People ''A Free People'' (german: Freies Volk) is a 1925 German silent drama film directed by Martin Berger and starring Albert Florath and Ellen Plessow. It is now considered a lost film. It was one of two films made by Berger under commission from t ...

'' (1925) * ''

We Belong to the Imperial-Royal Infantry Regiment ''We Belong to the Imperial and Royal Infantry Regiment'' (German:''Wir sind vom K. u. K. Infanterie-Regiment'') is a 1926 German silent film starring Mary Kid, Paul Heidemann and Fritz Spira. The film's art direction was by Heinrich Rich ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Red Mouse ''The Red Mouse'' (german: Die rote Maus) is a 1926 German silent film directed by Rudolf Meinert and starring Aud Egede-Nissen, Paul Richter, and Charles Willy Kayser. It premiered at the Marmorhaus in Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital an ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Trumpets are Blowing ''The Trumpets are Blowing'' (German: ''Es blasen die Trompeten'') is a 1926 German silent film directed by Carl Boese and starring Bruno Kastner, Hugo Fischer-Köppe, and Eddie Seefeld.Bock & Bergfelder p.8. Cast *Bruno Kastner *Hugo Fischer- ...

'' (1926) * ''

Unmarried Daughters ''Unmarried Daughters'' (German: ''Ledige Töchter'') is a 1926 German silent film directed by Carl Boese and starring Jenny Jugo, Charlotte Ander and Ida Wüst.Parish p.297 The film's sets were designed by the art director Oscar Werndorff. C ...

'' (1926) * ''

Women of Passion ''Women of Passion'' (german: Frauen der Leidenschaft) is a 1926 German silent film directed by Rolf Randolf and starring Fern Andra, Ágnes Esterházy, and Henry Bender. The film's sets were designed by Robert A. Dietrich Robert A. Dietrich ( ...

'' (1926) * ''

Nanette Makes Everything ''Nanette Makes Everything'' (German: ''Nanette macht alles'') is a 1926 German silent film directed by Carl Boese and starring Mady Christians, Georg Alexander and Vivian Gibson. It was shot at the Terra Studios in Berlin. The film's sets were d ...

'' (1926) * ''

Vienna - Berlin Vienna ( ; german: Wien ; bar, Wean, label=Bavarian language, Austro-Bavarian ) is the Capital city, capital, largest city, and one of States of Austria, nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's List of cities and towns in Austria, most populou ...

'' (1926) * ''

The Dashing Archduke ''The Dashing Archduke'' (German:''Der fesche Erzherzog'') is a 1927 Austrian-German silent film directed by Robert Land.Bock & Bergfelder p.74 The film's art direction was by Carl Ludwig Kirmse. Cast * Liane Haid * Ellen Kürti * Oskar M ...

'' (1927) * ''

On the Banks of the River Weser ''On the Banks of the River Weser'' (german: An der Weser) is a 1927 German silent drama film directed by Siegfried Philippi and starring Carl Auen, Olga Engl, and Camilla Spira Camilla Spira (1 March 1906 – 25 August 1997) was a Germ ...

'' (1927) * ''

Family Gathering in the House of Prellstein ''Family Gathering in the House of Prellstein'' (German: ''Familientag im Hause Prellstein'') is a 1927 German Silent film, silent comedy film directed by Hans Steinhoff and starring S. Z. Sakall, Erika Glässner and Sig Arno. Cast *S. Z. Sakall ...

'' (1927) * ''

When the Mother and the Daughter ''When the Mother and the Daughter'' (german: Wenn die Mutter und die Tochter...) is a 1928 German silent film directed by Carl Boese and starring Fritz Spira, Trude Hesterberg, and Vera Schmiterlöw Alice Vera Cecilia Charlotta Schmiterlöw ...

'' (1928) * '' Endangered Girls'' (1928) * ''

The Fate of the House of Habsburg ''The Fate of the House of Habsburg'' (german: Das Schicksal derer von Habsburg) is a 1928 German silent drama film directed by and starring Fritz Spira, Alfons Fryland, and Leni Riefenstahl Helene Bertha Amalie "Leni" Riefenstahl (; 22 A ...

'' (1928) * '' The Alley Cat'' (1929) * ''

The Fourth from the Right ''The Fourth from the Right'' (German: ''Die vierte von rechts'') is a 1929 German silent comedy film directed by Conrad Wiene and starring Ossi Oswalda, Betty Bird and Arthur Pusey.Habel p.197 The film's sets were designed by the art director ...

'' (1929) * ''

What's Wrong with Nanette? ''What's Wrong with Nanette?'' (German: ''Was ist los mit Nanette?'') is a 1929 German silent film directed by Holger-Madsen and starring Ruth Weyher, Georg Alexander and Harry Hardt.Krautz p.117 Cast In alphabetical order * Georg Alexander as ...

'' (1929) * ''

Darling of the Gods ''Darling of the Gods'' (german: Liebling der Götter) is a 1930 German musical drama film directed by Hanns Schwarz and starring Emil Jannings, Renate Müller and Olga Tschechowa. Jannings had recently returned from Hollywood where the arrival ...

'' (1930) * '' Fairground People'' (1930) * '' Two Worlds'' (1930) * '' Duty is Duty'' (1931) * ''

Terror of the Garrison ''Terror of the Garrison'' (German: ''Der Schrecken der Garnison'') is a 1931 German comedy film directed by Carl Boese and starring Felix Bressart, Lucie Englisch and Adele Sandrock.Bock & Bergfelder p.63 It was one of several military farces ...

'' (1931) * ''

Johann Strauss Johann Baptist Strauss II (25 October 1825 – 3 June 1899), also known as Johann Strauss Jr., the Younger or the Son (german: links=no, Sohn), was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed ove ...

'' (1931) * ''

Johnny Steals Europe ''Johnny Steals Europe'' (german: Jonny stiehlt Europa) is a 1932 German comedy crime film directed by Harry Piel and Andrew Marton and starring Piel, Dary Holm and Alfred Abel. The film was based on a novel by Werner Scheff. It was shot at th ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Ladies Diplomat ''The Ladies Diplomat'' (german: Der Frauendiplomat) is a 1932 German comedy film directed by E. W. Emo and starring Mártha Eggerth, Max Hansen, and Leo Slezak. It was remade in Britain in 1934 as '' The Diplomatic Lover''. Synopsis When a w ...

'' (1932) * '' Grandstand for General Staff'' (1932) * ''

Viennese Waltz Viennese waltz (german: Wiener Walzer) is a genre of ballroom dance. At least four different meanings are recognized. In the historically first sense, the name may refer to several versions of the waltz, including the earliest waltzes done in b ...

'' (1932) * ''

Gitta Discovers Her Heart ''Gitta Discovers Her Heart'' (german: Gitta entdeckt ihr Herz) is a 1932 German musical film directed by Carl Froelich and starring Gitta Alpar, Gustav Fröhlich, and Paul Kemp. It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin. The film's ...

'' (1932) * ''

The Hymn of Leuthen ''The Hymn of Leuthen'' (german: Der Choral von Leuthen) is a 1933 German film depicting Frederick the Great, directed by Carl Froelich starring Otto Gebühr, Olga Tschechowa and Elga Brink. It was part of the cycle of nostalgic Prussian films ...

'' (1933) * '' The Emperor's Waltz'' (1933) * ''

The Roberts Case ''The Roberts Case'' (german: Der Fall Roberts or ) is a 1933 German drama film directed by Erich Engels and starring Hermann Speelmans, Camilla Spira and Eduard von Winterstein.Moeller p. 65 It was shot at the Johannisthal Studios in Berlin ...

'' (1933)

References

Bibliography

* Baer, Hester. ''Dismantling the Dream Factory: Gender, German Cinema, and the Postwar Quest for a New Film Language''. Berghahn Books, 2012.

External links

* 1881 births 1943 deaths Austrian Jews Austrian male stage actors Austrian male film actors Austrian male silent film actors Male actors from Vienna Austrian people who died in Nazi concentration camps 20th-century Austrian male actors {{Austria-actor-stub