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Wolfgang Georg Louis Liebeneiner (6 October 1905 – 28 November 1987) was a German
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 (), lit ...
,
film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, pr ...
and
theatre director A theatre director or stage director is a professional in the theatre field who oversees and orchestrates the mounting of a theatre production such as a play, opera, dance, drama, musical theatre performance, etc. by unifying various endeavors a ...
.


Beginnings

He was born in Liebau in Prussian Silesia. In 1928, he was taught by Otto Falckenberg, the director of the
Munich Kammerspiele The Munich Kammerspiele (German: Münchner Kammerspiele) is a state-funded German-language theater company based at the ''Schauspielhaus'' on Maximilianstrasse in the Bavarian capital. The company currently has three venues: the main stage of ...
, in acting and directing.


Nazi era

In 1936, Liebeneiner became a member of the Prussian State Theater () in Berlin and in 1938, he became artistic director of the German Film Academy
Babelsberg Babelsberg () is the largest quarter (''Stadtteil'') of Potsdam, the capital city of the German state of Brandenburg. The affluent neighbourhood named after a small hill on the Havel river is famous for Babelsberg Palace and Park, part of the Pala ...
(). In 1941, he directed the film '' Ich klage an'' (''I accuse'') in cooperation with the
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (; RMVP), also known simply as the Ministry of Propaganda (), controlled the content of the press, literature, visual arts, film, theater, music and radio in Nazi Germany. The ministry ...
. The film was about
voluntary euthanasia Voluntary euthanasia (VE) is the ending of a person's life at their request in order to relieve them of suffering. Voluntary euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide (PAS) have been the focus of intense debate in recent years. Some forms of ...
of a woman suffering from
multiple sclerosis Multiple (cerebral) sclerosis (MS), also known as encephalomyelitis disseminata or disseminated sclerosis, is the most common demyelinating disease, in which the insulating covers of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. This ...
, but was intended to support the T4 euthanasia program. He received a
doctorate A doctorate (from Latin ''docere'', "to teach"), doctor's degree (from Latin ''doctor'', "teacher"), or doctoral degree is an academic degree awarded by universities and some other educational institutions, derived from the ancient formalism ''l ...
in the years from 1942 to 1945 while working for
Universum Film AG UFA GmbH, shortened to UFA (), is a film and television production company that unites all production activities of the media conglomerate Bertelsmann in Germany. Its name derives from Universum-Film Aktiengesellschaft (normally abbreviated as ...
, the largest German
film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...
at that time.


Post war

In 1947, Liebeneiner directed the debut of Wolfgang Borchert's play ' (''
The Man Outside ''The Man Outside'' (, literally ''Outside, at the door'') is a play by Wolfgang Borchert, written in a few days in the late autumn of 1946. It made its debut on German radio on 13 February 1947. ''The Man Outside'' describes the hopelessness o ...
'') in the Hamburg Kammerspiele. In 1956 he was successful with the film ''
The Trapp Family ''The Trapp Family'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie, links=no) is a 1956 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical family of that name directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Maria Holst. ...
''. He died on 28 November 1987 in Vienna after a long illness.


Personal life

Liebeneiner was married twice: first, from 1934 to the actress Ruth Hellberg, then from 1944 to the actress Hilde Krahl, with whom he had his daughter Johanna Liebeneiner, who also became an actress.


Selected filmography


Actor

* '' The Other Side'' (1931) * '' Happy Days in Aranjuez'' (1933) * '' Farewell Waltz'' (1934) * '' Music in the Blood'' (1934) * ''
Asew ''Asew'' or ''Double-Agent Asew'' or ''Asew the Agent Provocateur'' (german: Lockspitzel Asew) is a 1935 German-Austrian thriller film directed by Phil Jutzi and starring Fritz Rasp, Olga Tschechowa, and Hilde von Stolz. It was shot at the Siev ...
'' (1935) * '' Liebelei'' (1933, directed by
Max Ophüls Maximillian Oppenheimer (; 6 May 1902 – 26 March 1957), known as Max Ophüls (; ), was a German-French film director who worked in Germany (1931–1933), France (1933–1940 and 1950–1957), and the United States (1947–1950). He made near ...
) * '' A Love Story'' (1933) * '' Enjoy Yourselves'' (1934) * '' What Am I Without You'' (1934) * '' A Night on the Danube'' (1935) * '' Every Day Isn't Sunday'' (1935) * '' Artist Love'' (1935) * '' His Late Excellency'' (1935) * ''
The Blonde Carmen ''The Blonde Carmen'' (german: Die blonde Carmen) is a 1935 German musical comedy film directed by Victor Janson and starring Mártha Eggerth, Wolfgang Liebeneiner, and Ida Wüst.Zanger p. 30 It is part of the tradition of operetta films. It ...
'' (1935) * '' Friedemann Bach'' (1941)


Director

Film * '' The Model Husband'' (1937) * '' Don't Promise Me Anything'' (1937) * '' You and I'' (1938) * '' Yvette'' (1938) * '' Target in the Clouds'' (1939) * '' The Leghorn Hat'' (1939) * '' Bismarck'' (1940) * '' Ich klage an'' (1941) * '' Die Entlassung'' (1942) * ''
Melody of a Great City ''Melody of a Great City'' (German: ''Großstadtmelodie'') is a 1943 musical drama film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Hilde Krahl, Werner Hinz and Karl John. A young woman moves to Berlin to work as a press photographer. Cast ...
'' (1943) * '' Love '47'' (1949) * '' My Niece Susanne'' (1950) * '' Abundance of Life'' (1950) * '' When a Woman Loves'' (1950) * ''
The Blue Star of the South ''The Blue Star of the South'' (German: ''Der blaue Stern des Südens'') is a 1951 Austrian comedy film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Viktor de Kowa, Gustav Knuth and Gretl Schörg.Fritsche p.241 It was shot at the Bavaria Stud ...
'' (1951) * '' Gateway to Peace'' (1951) * '' 1. April 2000'' (1952) * '' The Dancing Heart'' (1953) * '' The Stronger Woman'' (1953) * '' The Beautiful Miller'' (1954) * '' Love is Forever'' (1954) * '' On the Reeperbahn at Half Past Midnight'' (1954) * '' I Was an Ugly Girl'' (1955) * '' Leave on Word of Honour'' (1955) * ''
The Trapp Family ''The Trapp Family'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie, links=no) is a 1956 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical family of that name directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Maria Holst. ...
'' (1956) * '' Winter in the Woods'' (1956) * '' Queen Louise'' (1957) * '' Goodbye, Franziska'' (1957) * '' Immer wenn der Tag beginnt'' (1957) * ''
The Trapp Family in America ''The Trapp Family in America'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika) is a 1958 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical Trapp Family directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Josef Me ...
'' (1958) * '' Taiga'' (1958) * ''
Sebastian Kneipp Sebastian Kneipp (17 May 1821 – 17 June 1897) was a German Catholic priest and one of the forefathers of the naturopathic medicine movement. He is most commonly associated with the "Kneipp Cure" form of hydrotherapy (often called "Kneipp ther ...
'' (1958) * ''
My Daughter Patricia ''My Daughter Patricia'' (German: ''Meine Tochter Patricia'') is a 1959 Austrian comedy film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Martin Held, Gerhard Riedmann and Gerlinde Locker.Bock & Bergfelder p.474 The film's sets were designed by ...
'' (1959) * '' Jacqueline'' (1959) * '' Ingeborg'' (1960) * '' I'm Marrying the Director'' (1960) * '' A Woman for Life'' (1960) * '' Final Accord'' (1960) * '' The Last Chapter'' (1961) * '' Schweik's Awkward Years'' (1964) * ''
The World Revolves Around You ''The World Revolves Around You'' (German: ''Jetzt dreht die Welt sich nur um dich'') is a 1964 Austrian musical film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Gitte Hænning, Rex Gildo and Claus Biederstaedt.Von Dassanowsky p.186 It was s ...
'' (1964) * '' When Sweet Moonlight Is Sleeping in the Hills'' (1969) * ' (1977) * '' Goetz von Berlichingen of the Iron Hand'' (1979) Television * ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure n ...
'' (1966, TV miniseries) — (based on ''
Treasure Island ''Treasure Island'' (originally titled ''The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys''Hammond, J. R. 1984. "Treasure Island." In ''A Robert Louis Stevenson Companion'', Palgrave Macmillan Literary Companions. London: Palgrave Macmillan. .) is an adventure n ...
'') * ''Ein Schloß in Schweden'' (1967) — (based on ''Château en Suède'' by
Françoise Sagan Françoise Sagan (born Françoise Delphine Quoirez; 21 June 1935 – 24 September 2004) was a French playwright, novelist, and screenwriter. Sagan was known for works with strong romantic themes involving wealthy and disillusioned bourgeois chara ...
) * ''Ein ehrenwerter Herr'' (1968) — (based on ''Un grand honnête homme'' by
Jules Romains Jules Romains (born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule; 26 August 1885 – 14 August 1972) was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement. His works include the play ''Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine'', and a cycle o ...
) * ' (1968, TV miniseries) — (based on ''
Tom Sawyer Thomas Sawyer () is the titular character of the Mark Twain novel '' The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876). He appears in three other novels by Twain: '' Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884), '' Tom Sawyer Abroad'' (1894), and ''Tom Sawyer, D ...
'' and ''
Huckleberry Finn Huckleberry "Huck" Finn is a fictional character created by Mark Twain who first appeared in the book ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1876) and is the protagonist and narrator of its sequel, ''Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'' (1884). He is 12 ...
'') * ''Mister Barnett'' (1969) — (based on ''Monsieur Barnett'' by
Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an ad ...
) * ''Eine konsequente Frau'' (1971) — (based on ''
The Constant Wife ''The Constant Wife'', a play written in 1926 by W. Somerset Maugham, is a comedy whose modern and amusing take on marriage and infidelity gives a quick-witted, alternative view on how to deal with an extramarital affair. A “sparkling comedy o ...
'') * ''Die sieben Ohrfeigen'' (1971) — (remake of '' Seven Slaps'', 1937, based on a novel by ) * ''Besuch auf einem kleinen Planeten'' (1971) — (based on ''Visit to a Small Planet'' by
Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and es ...
) * '' Die Abenteuer des braven Soldaten Schwejk'' (1972, TV series) — (based on ''
The Good Soldier Švejk ''The Good Soldier Švejk'' () is an unfinished satirical dark comedy novel by Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek, published in 1921–1923, about a good-humored, simple-minded, middle-aged man who pretends to be enthusiastic to serve Austria-Hungary ...
'') * ''Gasparone'' (1973) — (based on '' Gasparone'') * ''Plaza Fortuna'' (1973) — (based on a novel by
Gudrun Pausewang Gudrun Pausewang (3 March 1928 – 23 January 2020), less commonly known by her married name, Gudrun Wilcke, was a German author of children's and young adult literature. She was known for books such as ''The Last Children of Schewenborn'' and ' ...
) * ''Eine egoistische Liebe'' (1973) — (based on ''
Sons and Lovers ''Sons and Lovers'' is a 1913 novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. It traces emotional conflicts through the protagonist, Paul Morel, and his suffocating relationships with a demanding mother and two very different lovers, which exert ...
'') * ''Schwarzwaldmädel'' (1973) — (based on '' Schwarzwaldmädel'') * ' (1975–1976, TV series) * ''Das kleine Hofkonzert'' (1976) — (based on '' Das kleine Hofkonzert'') * ''Die Abenteuer des braven Soldaten Schwejk'', second season (1977, TV series) — (based on ''
The Good Soldier Švejk ''The Good Soldier Švejk'' () is an unfinished satirical dark comedy novel by Czech writer Jaroslav Hašek, published in 1921–1923, about a good-humored, simple-minded, middle-aged man who pretends to be enthusiastic to serve Austria-Hungary ...
'') * ''Das Drehbuch'' (1980) — (based on ''Le Scénario'' by
Jean Anouilh Jean Marie Lucien Pierre Anouilh (; 23 June 1910 – 3 October 1987) was a French dramatist whose career spanned five decades. Though his work ranged from high drama to absurdist farce, Anouilh is best known for his 1944 play ''Antigone'', an ad ...
) * ''Der Garten'' (1983) — (based on a play by Tim Aspinall) * ''Der Mustergatte'' (1983) — (based on ''
Fair and Warmer ''Fair and Warmer'' is a three-act comedy play by the American writer Avery Hopwood. It was first staged at the Eltinge Theatre in New York City on November 15, 1915, running for 377 performances, featuring Madge Kennedy, John Cumberland, Jane ...
'')


References


External links

*
Photographs and literature

Audio recordings with Wolfgang Liebeneiner
in the Online Archive of the
Österreichische Mediathek The Österreichische Mediathek ("Austrian Mediathek") is the Austrian archive for sound recordings and videos on cultural and contemporary history. It was founded in 1960 as Österreichische Phonothek (Austrian Phonothek) by the Ministry of Educat ...
(Plays and interviews in German). Retrieved 18 September 2019 {{DEFAULTSORT:Liebeneiner, Wolfgang 1905 births 1987 deaths 20th-century German male actors German male film actors German theatre directors German film directors German television directors Nazi propagandists Propaganda film directors People from the Province of Silesia German expatriates in Austria People from Lubawka