Manasse Herbst (1 November 1913 in
Galicia,
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
– 3 January 1997 in
Hallandale, Florida) was a German-speaking silent movie actor, child-actor, theater actor and singer. He participated in 416 sold-out performances of the operetta ''
White Horse Inn
''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl''
)
is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...
'' between 1930 and 1932 in Berlin. During the first half of the 1930s, Herbst had a relationship with the German Baron
Gottfried von Cramm
Gottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt Freiherr von Cramm (; 7 July 1909 – 8 November 1976) was a German tennis champion who won the French Open twice and reached the final of a Grand Slam on five other occasions. He was ranked number 2 in ...
, one of the more popular tennis players of the time. Because of this, von Cramm was sentenced in a
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 ...
propaganda trial that was recognized all over the world. Due to his Jewish background and 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 ...
prohibition to perform his job, Herbst fled from Germany in 1936. Later, he became a U.S. citizen.
Life
In 1920, Herbst participated in the silent movie ''Papa Haydn'', where he performed as the young son of the composer
Joseph Haydn. In 1926 he acted a part in the silent movie "
The Son of Hannibal". Between 1930 and 1932, he performed 416 times within 18 months in the always sold-out operetta ''Im weissen Rössl'' (''
White Horse Inn
''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl''
)
is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...
'') in the so-called "Theater of the 5,000", the
Großes Schauspielhaus
The Großes Schauspielhaus (Great Theater) was a theatre in Berlin, Germany, often described as an example of expressionist architecture, designed by Hans Poelzig for theatre impresario Max Reinhardt. The structure was originally a market built b ...
of Berlin, near Schiffbauerdamm. It was described as a cultural highlight in the
Weimar Republic
The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is ...
, which antagonised the Nazis who prohibited it as
degenerate art
Degenerate art (german: Entartete Kunst was a term adopted in the 1920s by the Nazi Party in Germany to describe modern art. During the dictatorship of Adolf Hitler, German modernist art, including many works of internationally renowned artists, ...
(in German: Entartete Kunst) as soon as they
came to power in 1933.
In 1931, 17-year-old Manasse Herbst met the married 21-year-old Gottfried von Cramm in the Berlin nightclub Eldorado when the latter was at the beginning of his career as a tennis champion. They were close friends until Herbst's forced emigration. It was sponsored by von Cramm, which was highly illegal at that time. Herbst and von Cramm tried to stay in contact, which was hard due to the
Gestapo
The (), abbreviated Gestapo (; ), was the official secret police of Nazi Germany and in German-occupied Europe.
The force was created by Hermann Göring in 1933 by combining the various political police agencies of Prussia into one orga ...
and World War II.
Manasse Herbst went to Lisbon, Portugal, where he could not find work since he had no knowledge of Portuguese. In 1937 he managed to travel to Paris, France, where he was able to live with his brother. From there, he contacted von Cramm who received the letter in Australia, where he was participating in a tennis competition. Gottfried von Cramm hoped to meet Herbst in 1938 when he was scheduled to travel to Paris to take part in the French Championships; this did not happen.
In April 1937, von Cramm was interrogated by Gestapo about his intimate relationship with Herbst. A
rent boy
Male prostitution is the act or practice of men providing sexual services in return for payment. It is a form of sex work. Although clients can be of any gender, the vast majority are older males looking to fulfill their sexual needs. Male pro ...
had denounced him and others from hearsay of Berlin's gay scene, some falsely. For the Nazis, the denunciation of von Cramm was just a minor offshoot of the bigger
Blomberg-Fritsch Affair. In an effort to minimise his sentence, von Cramm tried to reduce the duration of his liaison with Herbst to the time before the aggravation of the anti-gay laws that took place in 1935. In an exculpatory statement, he claimed to be blackmailed by Herbst in order to avoid a harsh sentence for a breach of exchange control regulations. Gottfried von Cramm was sentenced to one year in jail but came out on probation after seven months. His mother had intervened and met
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 ...
, who was a member of the
Rot-Weiss Tennis Club where von Cramm originated.
After World War II, Herbst, meanwhile married, visited Germany to thank von Cramm for saving his life. Herbst later lived in Hallandale, Florida, where he died at the age of 83.
''Manasse Herbst'', Social Security Death Index
/ref>
Silent movies
* 1920: ''Papa Haydn'' (Director Karl Frey) as young son of composer Joseph Haydn
* 1926: '' The Son of Hannibal'' (Director Felix Basch
Felix Basch (1885–1944) was an American-Austrian actor, screenwriter and film director.
He first acted in Vienna, and he was a producer and director for the German film production company UFA GmbH, U. F. A. Following the Nazi takeover of powe ...
), starring Liane Haid
Juliane "Liane" Haid (16 August 1895 – 28 November 2000) was an Austrian actress and singer. She has often been referred to as Austria's first movie star.
Biography
Juliane Haid was born in Vienna on 16 August 1895, the first child to Georg ...
, Alfons Fryland
Alfons Fryland (1 May 1888 – 29 November 1953) was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in 47 films between 1921 and 1933. He was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria) and died in Graz, Austria.
Selected filmography
* '' Labyrinth d ...
, Ferdinand von Alten
Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...
, Siegfried Arno, Alexander Murski
Alexander Alexandrovich Murski ( Russian: Александр Александрович Мурский) (1 November 1869 – April 1943) was a Saint Petersburg, Russian-born German actor. Murski died in 1943 in Toulouse, Midi-Pyrénées, Fra ...
, Bruno Arno, Nikolai Malikoff
Nikolai Malikoff ( Russian: Николай Петрович Маликов; 1874 – 20 April 1931) was a Russian-Ukrainian film director and actor who worked mainly as a film director in Russia, and later as an actor in Germany.Goble p.673
Sele ...
Theater
* 1930–1932: ''The White Horse Inn
''The White Horse Inn'' (or ''White Horse Inn'') (German title: ''Im weißen Rößl''
)
is an operetta or musical comedy by Ralph Benatzky and Robert Stolz in collaboration with a number of other composers and writers, set in the picturesque Salz ...
'' (Director Erik Charell
Erik Charell (April 8, 1894 – July 15, 1974), born as Erich Karl Löwenberg, was a German theatre and film director, dancer and actor. He is best known as the creator of musical revues and operettas, such as '' The White Horse Inn'' (''Im wei ...
), as Piccolo, next to Paul Hörbiger
Paul Hörbiger (29 April 1894 – 5 March 1981) was an Austrian theatre and film actor.
Life and work
Paul Hörbiger was born in the Hungarian capital Budapest, then part of Austria-Hungary, the son of engineer Hanns Hörbiger, founder of the ...
, Willi Schaeffers
Willi Schaeffers (1884–1962) was a German film actor and cabaret performer.Jelavich p.246
Selected filmography
* '' The Blue Mouse'' (1913)
* '' A Blackmailer's Trick'' (1921)
* '' Nameless Woman'' (1927)
* '' The Street Song'' (1931)
* '' Kiki ...
, Siegfried Arno, Max Hansen, Walter Jankuhn, 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 ...
, Otto Wallburg
Otto Wallburg (21 February 1889 – 29 October 1944) was a German actor and Kabarett performer. He was a prolific film actor during the late silent and early sound era.
Wallburg was born Otto Maximilian Wasserzug in Berlin, the son of a Jewis ...
.
Literature
* Marshall Jon Fisher: ''Ich spiele um mein Leben. Gottfried von Cramm und das beste Tennis-Match aller Zeiten.'' Osburg 1990, .
* Andreas Pretzel: ''NS-Opfer unter Vorbehalt: Homosexuelle Männer in Berlin nach 1945.'' LIT, Münster 2002, .
* Marshall Jon Fisher: ''A Terrible Splendor – Three Extraordinary Men, a World Poised for War, and the Greatest Tennis Match Ever Played.'' Crown/Archetype 2009.
* Clinton Elliott: ''The Intimate Lives of Gay Men Past and Present.'' Author House 2014.
* Elizabeth Wilson: ''Love Game – A History of Tennis, from Victorian Pastime to Global Phenomenon.'' Serpent’s Tail 2014.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Herbst, Manasse
1913 births
1997 deaths
German expatriate male actors in the United States
German gay actors
German male stage actors
German male film actors
German male silent film actors
Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to the United States
Male actors from Berlin
20th-century German male actors
People from Hallandale Beach, Florida
20th-century LGBT people