Katharina "Käthe" Dorsch (, 29 December 1890 – 25 December 1957) was a German stage and film actor.

Biography

Katharina Dorsch was born on 29 December 1890 at 5:30 P.M. in the Bavarian town of Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz, the daughter of Christoph Dorsch (died 1901), a bakery helper, and Magdalena Dorsch (née Lindl).Geburtsurkunde Nr. 229, eingesehen im Stadtarchiv der Stadt Neumarkt 15 February 2010.Lutz Weltmann: ''Käthe Dorsch. Ein Frauen- und Rampenprofil.'' Horen Verlag, Berlin-Grunewald, 1929, S. 23. Her family moved to

Nuremberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

when she was three years old. Dorsch attended a trade school, took piano lessons, and had her first engagement aged 15 as a choir singer at the Staatstheater, performing Wagner's ''

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (; "The Master-Singers of Nuremberg"), WWV 96, is a music drama, or opera, in three acts, by Richard Wagner. It is the longest opera commonly performed, taking nearly four and a half hours, not counting two breaks between acts, and is traditio ...

''. Later, she also performed in

Hanau Hanau () is a town in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and is part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ...

and

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (german: Universitätsstadt Mannheim), is the second-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg after the state capital of Stuttgart, and Germany's 2 ...

, mainly participating in operettas. Dorsch's first major role was as Ännchen in the

Max Halbe Max Halbe (4 October 1865 – 30 November 1944) was a German dramatist and main exponent of Naturalism. Biography Halbe was born at the manor of Güttland (Koźliny) near Danzig (Gdańsk), where he grew up. He was a member of an old family of p ...

drama ''Youth'', being the substitute for a sick colleague. Despite Dorsch's negative attitude towards the operetta, for financial reasons she decided to commit herself as a soubrette soprano in

Mainz Mainz () is the capital and largest city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Mainz is on the left bank of the Rhine, opposite to the place that the Main (river), Main joins the Rhine. Downstream of the confluence, the Rhine flows to the north-we ...

in 1908, going to

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 ...

in 1911 to perform at the

Theater am Schiffbauerdamm The ''Theater am Schiffbauerdamm'' () is a theatre building at the ''Schiffbauerdamm'' riverside in the Mitte district of Berlin, Germany, opened on 19 November 1892. Since 1954, it has been home to the Berliner Ensemble theatre company, founded ...

. Dorsch also worked at the

Residenz Theatre The Residence Theatre (in German: Residenztheater) or New Residence Theatre (Neues Residenztheater) of the Residence in Munich was built from 1950 to 1951 by Karl Hocheder. The renovation of 1981 by Alexander von Branca removed the decoration whic ...

, Deutsches Theater, and

Konzerthaus Berlin The Konzerthaus Berlin is a concert hall in Berlin, the home of the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. Situated on the Gendarmenmarkt square in the central Mitte district of the city, it was originally built as a theater. It initially operated from ...

. In 1927 she traveled to

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

, where she performed at the Volkstheater. She appeared in

Carl Zuckmayer Carl Zuckmayer (27 December 1896 – 18 January 1977) was a German writer and playwright. His older brother was the pedagogue, composer, conductor, and pianist Eduard Zuckmayer. Life and career Born in Nackenheim in Rhenish Hesse, he was t ...

's 1927 play ''

Schinderhannes Johannes Bückler (c.1778 – 21 November 1803) was a German outlaw who orchestrated one of the most famous crime sprees in German history. He has been nicknamed Schinderhannes and Schinnerhannes in German and John the Scorcher, John the Flaye ...

''. Her greatest success was in the title role of

Franz Lehár Franz Lehár ( ; hu, Lehár Ferenc ; 30 April 1870 – 24 October 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is ''The Merry Widow'' (''Die lustige Witwe''). Life ...

's operetta ''Friederike'', which premiered on 4 October 1928 at the

Neues Schauspielhaus The Metropol, formerly Neues Schauspielhaus ( en, New Theatre), at 5 Nollendorfplatz in the Schöneberg district of Berlin was built in 1905 as a theatre, with a separate concert hall (the Mozartsaal) above, in the then-fashionable Art Nouveau st ...

. In 1936, Dorsch appeared at the Staatstheater in Berlin, and was a member of the

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (literally:"Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater"), originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in Vi ...

from 1939 until her death. She returned to the Berlin stage in 1946. In addition to her lengthy stage career, Dorsch also appeared on the screen. She made her film debut in the 1916 short ''Allzuviel ist ungesund''. She appeared in numerous films before taking a hiatus in 1924. She returned to the film industry in 1930, starring in ''Die Lindenwirtin'', followed by

Three Days of Love ''Three Days of Love'' (german: Drei Tage Liebe) is a 1931 German drama film directed by Heinz Hilpert and starring Hans Albers, Käthe Dorsch, and Trude Berliner. It was made and distributed by the independent Felsom Film company. It was shot a ...

(1931). Her final screen appearance was in

Regine Regine () or Régine is a feminine given name. Regine is a German-French form of Regina, and Régine is a French form of Regina. People with the first name include: Regine * Regine Heitzer (born 1944), Austrian figure skater * Regine Hildebrandt ...

(1956). Dorsch and her childhood friend

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...

took advantage of interventions for racially threatened or politically persecuted colleagues,Ludwig Berger: ''Käthe Dorsch.'' Rembrandt Verlag, Berlin 1957. such as the

Kabarett Kabarett (; from French ''cabaret'' = tavern) is satirical revue, a form of cabaret which developed in France by Rodolphe Salis in 1881 as the ''cabaret artistique''. It was named Le Chat Noir and was centered on political events and satire. It ...

artist

Werner Finck Werner Finck (2 May 1902 – 31 July 1978) was a German ''Kabarett'' comedian, actor and author. Not politically motivated by his own admission but just a "convinced individualist", he became one of Germany's leading cabaret artists under the co ...

, who was released from the

Esterwegen concentration camp The Esterwegen concentration camp near Esterwegen was an early Nazi concentration camp within a series of camps first established in the Emsland district of Germany. It was established in the summer of 1933 as a concentration camp for 2000 so-c ...

on 1 July 1935. In 1946, Dorsch slapped the then 24 year old critic

Wolfgang Harich Wolfgang Harich (3 December 1923 – 15 March 1995) was a philosopher and journalist in East Germany. A deserter from the German army in World War II and a member of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, Harich became a professor of philosophy ...

for writing a bad review about one of her plays. In 1951, she slapped

Alexander Trojan Alexander Trojan (30 March 1914 – 19 September 1992) was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in more than 20 films between 1939 and 1977. He starred in the film '' Panoptikum 59'', which was entered into the 9th Berlin International Film ...

for making fun of people who were born under the Zodiac sign Capricorn. In 1956, she caused a media sensation when she also slapped the Austrian theater critic

Hans Weigel Julius Hans Weigel (29 May 1908, Vienna – 12 August 1991, Maria Enzersdorf) was an Austrian Jewish writer and a theater critic. He lived in Vienna, except during the period between 1938 and 1945, when he lived in exile in Switzerland. He ...

in front of a Vienna café. In 1920, Dorsch married fellow actor

Harry Liedtke Harry Liedtke (12 October 1882 – 28 April 1945) was a German film actor. Early life Liedtke was born in Königsberg, East Prussia to a merchant as the seventh out of 12 children. After the death of his father in 1896, he grew up in an orphanage ...

. The two divorced in 1928. The tie to Liedtke went beyond divorce; Dorsch never overcame Liedtke's 1945 murder by the Soviet Red Army.Hubert von Meyerinck: ''Käthe Dorsch.'' In: ''Meine berühmten Freundinnen. Erinnerungen.'' Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag, 1969, S. 110. Grab Dorsch Liedke Pieskow

Dorsch died on 25 December 1957 of liver disease. She is buried at the cemetery of

Bad Saarow Bad Saarow ( dsb, Zarow; 1950–2002: Bad Saarow-Pieskow) is a municipality in the Oder-Spree district, in Brandenburg, Germany. The place is known for its hot springs and for its mineral-rich mud. Their healing properties have attracted visitor ...

-Pieskow alongside ex-husband Harry Liedtke and his wife Christa Tordy. A memorial stands at

Waldfriedhof Dahlem The Waldfriedhof Dahlem ( Dahlem forest cemetery) is a cemetery in Berlin, in the district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf on the edge of the Grunewald forest at Hüttenweg 47. Densely planted with conifers and designed between 1931 and 1933 after the ...

in Berlin. In 1962, the Käthe-Dorsch-Gasse was named after her in Vienna. In 1966 in

Gropiusstadt Gropiusstadt () is a locality (''Ortsteil'') within the Berlin borough (''Bezirk'') of Neukölln. It was named after the architect who projected the complex: Walter Gropius. History Building of the quarter, initially named Britz-Buckow-Rudow and p ...

, a high rise building was named Käthe-Dorsch-Ring.

Partial filmography

* ''

The Queen's Secretary ''The Queen's Secretary'' (German: ''Der Sekretär der Königin'') is a 1916 German silent comedy film directed by Robert Wiene and starring Käthe Dorsch, Ressel Orla and Margarete Kupfer. A young Queen secretly marries the commander of her bod ...

'' (1916, Short) * ''Ein tolles Mädchen'' (1916) * ''Ein Narr der Liebe'' (1916) * ''Ein Jagdausflug nach Berlin'' (1917) * ''Die Memoiren des Satans, 1. Teil - Doktor Mors'' (1917-1918, part 1, 3) * ''Das fidele Gefängnis'' (1917) - Mizi * ''Dornröschen'' (1917) - The queen * ''John Riew - Ein Mädchenschicksal'' (917) - Annas Mutter * ''Frau Lenes Scheidung'' (1917) - Lene Semmelhak * ''Die Memoiren des Satans, 3.Teil - Der Fluchbeladene'' (1918) * ''Gezwungene Liebe'' (1918) * ''Ehemann a. D.'' (1918) * ''Sein letzter Seitensprung'' (1918) - Frau des Gefängnisdirektors * ''Der Glücksjunge'' (1918) - Fürstin Stachow * ''Amor in der Klemme'' (1918) * ''Keimendes Leben'' (1918-1919, part 1, 2) - (uncredited) * ''Die blaue Mauritius'' (1918) * ''Die Kunst zum Heiraten'' (1918) * ''Erborgtes Glück'' (1919) * ''Der junge Goethe'' (1919) * ''Moral und Sinnlichkeit'' (1919) - Lisbeth * ''

Vendetta Vendetta may refer to: * Feud or vendetta, a long-running argument or fight Film * ''Vendetta'' (1919 film), a film featuring Harry Liedtke * ''Vendetta'' (1950 film), an American drama produced by Howard Hughes * ''Vendetta'' (1986 film), a ...

'' (1919) - Miss Ruth Alcott * '' The Blue Mauritius'' (1919) - Stenotypsitin Else * ''Können Gedanken töten?'' (1920) - Ragna * ''Der Schauspieler der Herzogin'' (1920) * ''

The Prisoner ''The Prisoner'' is a 1967 British television series about an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village, where his captors designate him as Number Six and try to find out why he abruptl ...

'' (1920) - Crusius, Hertha, Tochter, Braut * ''

The Sins of the Mother ''The Sins of the Mother'' (german: Die Sünden der Mutter) is a 1921 German silent drama film directed by Georg Jacoby and starring Carl Auen and Käthe Dorsch. The film's sets were designed by the art director Kurt Richter. Cast * Curt Ehrle ...

'' (1921) - Louisa * ''

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' ( sv, Fröken Julie) is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of ...

'' (1922) - Christine - Kitchen Maid * '' Does a Woman Have to Become a Mother?'' (1924) - Else Hardt, geb Wolf * ''Die Lindenwirtin'' (1930) - Annemarie Babinger, Landwirtin * ''

'' (1931) - Lena * ''

Savoy Hotel 217 ''Savoy Hotel 217'' (German: ''Savoy-Hotel 217'') is a 1936 German drama film directed by Gustav Ucicky and starring Hans Albers, Brigitte Horney and Alexander Engel. It was shot at the Babelsberg Studios in Potsdam. The film's sets were designed ...

'' (1936) - Anna Fedorowna Orlowa * ''

A Woman of No Importance ''A Woman of No Importance'' by Oscar Wilde is "a new and original play of modern life", in four acts, first given on 19 April 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, London. Like Wilde's other society plays, it satirises English upper-class society. It ...

'' (1936) - Sylvia Kelvil * ''

Yvette Yvette is female given name, the French feminine form of Yves, which means yew or archer in some cases. Name days *Czech Republic: ''7 June'' *Hungary: ''13 January'', ''6 May'' and ''29 June'' *Poland: ''13 January'' *Slovakia: ''27 May'' ...

'' (1938) - Oktavia Obardi * ''Morgen werde ich verhaftet'' (1939) - Maria Burger * ''

Mistake of the Heart ''Mistake of the Heart'' (German: ''Irrtum des Herzens'') is a 1939 German romantic drama film directed by Bernd Hofmann and Alfred Stöger and starring Paul Hartmann, Leny Marenbach and Hans Söhnker. Klaus p.105 It was shot at the Bavaria Stud ...

'' (1939) - Oberin * '' A Mother's Love'' (1939) - Marthe Pirlinger * ''Trenck, der Pandur'' (1940) - Kaiserin Maria Theresia * '' The Comedians'' (1941) - Karoline Neuber * ''Singende Engel'' (1947) - Kaiserin * '' Journey to Happiness'' (1948) - Celia Loevengaard * ''Das Kuckucksei'' (1949) - Marie Müller * ''

'' (1949) - Eugenie - Marquise de Troissaules * ''

'' (1956) - Therese Lund (final film role)

References

External links

* *
Photos of Käthe Dorsch
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dorsch, Kathe 1890 births 1957 deaths People from Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz People from the Kingdom of Bavaria German stage actresses German film actresses German silent film actresses 20th-century German actresses