Grete Berger (born Margarethe Berg; 11 February 1883 – 23 May 1944) was an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

stage and film actress whose career came to an end following the rise of the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

in 1933. Berger was murdered at

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz concentration camp ( (); also or ) was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It con ...

in 1944 shortly after her arrival.

Career

Grete Berger was born Margarethe Berg into a

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 ...

family in

Austrian Silesia Austrian Silesia, (historically also ''Oesterreichisch-Schlesien, Oesterreichisch Schlesien, österreichisch Schlesien''); cs, Rakouské Slezsko; pl, Śląsk Austriacki officially the Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia, (historically ''Herzogth ...

. She began her education under acting teacher Rosa Roth in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. She made her stage debut on 1 September 1903 in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

at the Deutsches Theater. In 1904 she began an engagement at the Deutsches Theater under theatre director and pedagogue

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born Theatre director, theatre and film director, theater manager, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he i ...

where she performed in youthful character roles. In 1911 she performed with Reinhardt's ensemble in

Sophocles Sophocles (; grc, Σοφοκλῆς, , Sophoklễs; 497/6 – winter 406/5 BC)Sommerstein (2002), p. 41. is one of three ancient Greek tragedians, at least one of whose plays has survived in full. His first plays were written later than, or co ...

's ''

Oedipus Rex ''Oedipus Rex'', also known by its Greek title, ''Oedipus Tyrannus'' ( grc, Οἰδίπους Τύραννος, ), or ''Oedipus the King'', is an Athenian tragedy by Sophocles that was first performed around 429 BC. Originally, to the ancient Gr ...

'' on guest tours of

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

and

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

. Other notable roles in Berlin included Puck in

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'', the title role of

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, librettist, poet, dramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, the son of an upper-class ...

's drama '' Elektra'', Désirée in

Richard Beer-Hofmann Richard Beer-Hofmann (11 July 1866 in Vienna – 26 September 1945 in New York City) was an Austrian dramatist and poet. Beer-Hofmann was born to Jewish parents. His mother died within a week of his birth and after her death, he was adopted a ...

's ''

The Count of Charolais ''The Count of Charolais'' (German:''Der Graf von Charolais'') is a 1922 German silent historical film directed by Karl Grune and starring Eva May, William Dieterle and Eugen Klöpfer.Parish & Canham p.136 The film was adapted from the play of t ...

'', Marikke in

Hermann Sudermann Hermann Sudermann (30 September 1857 – 21 November 1928) was a German dramatist and novelist. Life Early career Sudermann was born at Matzicken, a village to the east of Heydekrug in the Province of Prussia (now Macikai and Šilutė, i ...

's '' Johannisfeuer'', and Rahel in

Franz Grillparzer Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer (15 January 1791 – 21 January 1872) was an Austrian writer who was considered to be the leading Austrian dramatist of the 19th century. His plays were and are frequently performed at the famous Burgtheater in Vien ...

's ''

The Jewess of Toledo ''The Jewess of Toledo'' (german: Die Jüdin von Toledo) is a play by Franz Grillparzer. Written in 1851, it was first performed in Prague in 1872, after Grillparzer's death. The play is based on the love affair between King Alfonso VIII of Cast ...

''.cyranos.ch
''Grete Berger''. Retrieved 17 November 2018. In 1913 and 1914 she appeared in front of the camera for several

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

s and became known as the female lead of the Comtess Margit Schwarzenberg in the 1913

Stellan Rye Stellan Rye (4 July 1880 – 14 November 1914) was a Danish-born film director, active in the early 20th century. Rye was born in Randers. In 1913 he created (together with Hanns Heinz Ewers and Paul Wegener) the silent film '' Der Student von P ...

and

Paul Wegener Paul Wegener (11 December 1874 – 13 September 1948) was a German actor, writer, and film director known for his pioneering role in German expressionist cinema. Acting career At the age of 20, Wegener decided to end his law studies and conce ...

-directed horror film '' The Student of Prague''. Stellan Rye would also cast her in several other of his films, including several other horror films penned by Berger's then-romantic partner

Hanns Heinz Ewers Hanns Heinz Ewers (3 November 1871 – 12 June 1943) was a German actor, poet, philosopher, and writer of short stories and novels. While he wrote on a wide range of subjects, he is now known mainly for his works of horror, particularly his trilo ...

. Following the outbreak of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

in 1914, Berger returned to the stage. During the 1920s, she was cast in a number of films, including multiple roles in films directed by

Fritz Lang Friedrich Christian Anton Lang (; December 5, 1890 – August 2, 1976), known as Fritz Lang, was an Austrian film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in Germany and later the United States.Obituary ''Variety'', August 4, 1976, p. 6 ...

. After her last film, ''The Land Without Women'' in 1929, Berger was no longer employed in the industry.

Nazi persecution and death

The accession of power by the

National Socialists 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 Na ...

in 1933 and the implementation of anti-Semitic laws and restrictions meant the end of Berger's career. She later fled with her husband to Italy, where she was arrested by the German occupation authorities in the course of a general hunt for Jews on 7 April 1944 in San Donato Val di Comino, near

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Their deportation to a National Socialist concentration camp was scheduled for 10 April 1944. She was transferred to the Jewish collection and transit camp Fossoli near

Carpi Carpi may refer to: Places * Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, a large town in the province of Modena, central Italy * Carpi (Africa), a city and former diocese of Roman Africa, now a Latin Catholic titular bishopric People * Carpi (people), an ancie ...

. There she met her longtime colleague from Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater German Theater, Jacob Feldhammer. From Fossoli, the German occupying forces deported both actors on 16 May 1944 to the

, where Berger and Feldhammer were murdered shortly after their arrival on 23 May 1944.digital-library.cdec.it
''Berger, Margarete''. Retrieved 17 November 2018.

References

Selected filmography

* '' The Student of Prague'' (1913) * ''

People in Ecstasy ''People in Ecstasy'' (german: Menschen im Rausch) is a 1921 German silent film directed by Julius Geisendörfer and starring Conrad Veidt.Soister p. 132 Cast * Conrad Veidt as Professor Munk, Komponist * Grete Berger as Maria, seine Frau * Fri ...

'' (1921) * '' The Secrets of Berlin'' (1921) * '' Dr. Mabuse the Gambler'' (1922) * ''

Phantom Phantom may refer to: * Spirit (animating force), the vital principle or animating force within all living things ** Ghost, the soul or spirit of a dead person or animal that can appear to the living Aircraft * Boeing Phantom Ray, a stealthy un ...

'' (1922) * ''

Madame de La Pommeraye's Intrigues ''Madame de La Pommeraye's Intrigues'' (German: ''Die Intrigen der Madame de La Pommeraye'') is a 1922 German silent film directed by Fritz Wendhausen and starring Olga Gsowskaja, Margarete Schlegel and Grete Berger. The film was produced by Rus ...

'' (1922) * ''

The Green Manuela ''The Green Manuela'' (German: ''Die grüne Manuela'') is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by Ewald André Dupont and starring Lucie Labass, Josef Winter and Grete Berger. The film is based on a novel by Clara Ratzka. A gypsy dancer b ...

'' (1923) * ''

The Stone Rider ''The Stone Rider'' (german: Der steinerne Reiter) is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by Fritz Wendhausen and starring Rudolf Klein-Rogge, Lucie Mannheim and Gustav von Wangenheim.Bock & Bergfelder p. 248 It was shot at the Babelsberg S ...

'' (1923) * ''

The Ancient Law ''The Ancient Law'' (german: Das alte Gesetz) is a 1923 German silent drama film directed by E. A. Dupont and starring Henny Porten, Ruth Weyher and Hermann Vallentin. The son of an Orthodox Rabbi faces hostility from his father when he decide ...

'' (1923) * '' The Assmanns'' (1925) * ''

Eternal Allegiance ''Eternal Allegiance'' (german: In Treue stark) is a 1926 German silent drama film directed by and starring Otto Gebühr, Claire Rommer, and Paul Richter. It was shot at the National Studios in Berlin. The film's set's were designed by the ...

'' (1926) * ''

Metropolis A metropolis () is a large city or conurbation which is a significant economic, political, and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections, commerce, and communications. A big c ...

'' (1927) * ''

Spies Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations. Spies or The Spies may also refer to: * Spies (surname), a German surname * Spies (band), a jazz fusion band * Spies (song), "Spies" (song), a song by ...

'' (1928) * ''

Land Without Women ''Land Without Women'' (german: Das Land ohne Frauen) is a 1929 German drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Conrad Veidt, Elga Brink and Clifford McLaglen. It was based on the novel ''Die Braut Nr. 68'' by Peter Bolt. The film is ...

'' (1929)

Bibliography

* Eisner, Lotte H. ''The Haunted Screen: Expressionism in the German Cinema and the Influence of Max Reinhardt''. University of California Press, 2008.

External links

* 1883 births 1944 deaths German stage actresses German film actresses German silent film actresses Austrian stage actresses Austrian film actresses Austrian silent film actresses Austrian people who died in Auschwitz concentration camp German Jews who died in the Holocaust Austrian Jews who died in the Holocaust People from Krnov 20th-century German actresses {{Germany-film-actor-stub