Marie Charlotte Wiehe-Berény (28 August 1865 – 4 September 1947) was a Danish

actress An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a production. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. ...

ballet dancer A ballet dancer is a person who practices the Art (skill), art of classical ballet. Both females and males can practice ballet. They rely on years of extensive training and proper technique to become a part of a professional ballet company. B ...

and singer. In 1940, she received the Ingenio et arti medal.

Personal life and family

She was born on 28 August 1865 to Emma Cathinka Hansen (), aged 33, and Jacob Julius Georg Hansen, aged 39 and had seven other siblings. Her father died when Charlotte was just 3 years old. Her mother single-handedly raised the eight children and ran a hat shop in

Gammel Mønt Gammel Mønt () is a street in central Copenhagen, Denmark, located one block west of Gothersgade and Rosenborg Castle Garden. History In 1497, a community of Poor Clare nuns established the Monastery of St. Clare roughly at the junction of pres ...

. On 5 June 1889, she married silent actor Wilhelm Wiehe (10 February 1858–18 August 1916). Their marriage lasted 10 years and they had a son named Bent Wiehe (born 11 November 1895); however, when Charlotte remarried later, his name was changed to Bent Wiehe-Berény. Her second marriage was to Hungarian violinist and composer Henri Berény (1 January 1871–22 March 1932). They got married on 7 December 1899 in Copenhagen and moved to Paris a year later. The marriage was terminated in 1920, but on 6 August 1929, they remarried at

Copenhagen City Hall Copenhagen City Hall () is the headquarters of the Copenhagen City Council as well as the Lord mayor of the Copenhagen Municipality, Denmark. The building is situated on City Hall Square in central Copenhagen. Architecture The current building ...

. In 1929, she wrote her memoir ''Fra Gammel Mønt til den store Verden'' (English: From Gammel Mønt to the Wide World). She died on 4 September 1947 in Skodsburg and is buried at Assistens Cemetery with her parents and two brothers.

Career

Charlotte was admitted to the

Royal Danish Theatre The Royal Danish Theatre (RDT, Danish: ') is both the national Danish performing arts institution and a name used to refer to its old purpose-built venue from 1874 located on Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen. The theatre was founded in 1748, first s ...

in 1874, where she trained as a ballet dancer under Georg Brodersen and took roles in

August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the ne ...

's works. Then from 1881–1890, she was employed by the theatre. In 1890, after being passed over a promotion within the ballet, she turned to acting and accepted a position at

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

Folketeatret Folketeateret is a theatre in Oslo, Norway. The building has been used as a movie theatre and as an opera house. The theatre has 1,400 seats. History The theatre itself operated from 1952 to 1959, but the institution has a much longer history. ...

. She performed in operettas and comedies at Folketeatret and

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becoming one of the favourites of her day. After she married Henri Berény, they moved to Paris and Charlotte embarked on an international career in theatre and silent films where she toured Europe and America. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the couple's wealth was seized by the French authorities as Henri Berény was Hungarian. Charlotte only returned to Denmark after Berény's death in 1932, where she remained relatively poor but still appeared on stage.

Filmography

* ''The Hand'' (1907, French: ''La Main'') * ''The Doll Man'' (1909, French: ''L'homme aux poupées'') * ''Bankerot'' (1912) * '' Lotte vil paa Landet'' (1916)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiehe-Bereny, Charlotte 20th-century Danish ballet dancers 1865 births 1947 deaths 19th-century Danish ballet dancers 20th-century Danish actresses Actresses from Copenhagen Burials at Assistens Cemetery (Copenhagen)