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
Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz (, ; ) is the capital of the Neumarkt (district), Neumarkt district in the administrative region of the Upper Palatinate, in Bavaria, Germany. With a population of about 40,000, Neumarkt is the seat of various projects, ...
, 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 (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
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 city in the Main-Kinzig-Kreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is 25 km east of Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main and part of the Frankfurt Rhine-Main, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Metropolitan Region. Its railway Hanau Hauptbahnhof, station is a ma ...
and
Mannheim
Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...
, 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 ...
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 (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
in 1908, going to
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
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 w ...
,
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 1 ...
. In 1927 she traveled to
Vienna
Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, 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.
His first two dramas were failures. In 1929, he wrote the script ...
's 1927 play ''
Schinderhannes
Johannes Bückler ( 177821 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 Flayer ...
''. Her greatest success was in the title role of
Franz Lehár
Franz Lehár ( ; ; 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 and career
L ...
's operetta ''Friederike'', which premiered on 4 October 1928 at the
Neues Schauspielhaus
The Metropol, formerly Neues Schauspielhaus (), 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 style. In 1911 th ...
.
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 ...
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 (1931). Her final screen appearance was in
Regine (1956).
Dorsch and her childhood friend
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
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 was 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. ...
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 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 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 as the seventh out of 12 children of a merchant. After his father's death in 1896, he grew up in an orphanage and ...
. 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.]

Dorsch died on 25 December 1957 of liver disease. She is buried at the cemetery of
Bad Saarow
Bad Saarow (, ; 1950–2002: Bad Saarow-Pieskow) is a Municipalities of Germany, 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 ...
-Pieskow alongside ex-husband Harry Liedtke and his wife
Christa Tordy.
A memorial stands at
Waldfriedhof Dahlem
The Waldfriedhof Dahlem (Dahlem (Berlin), Dahlem forest cemetery) is a cemetery in Berlin, in the district of Steglitz-Zehlendorf on the edge of the Grunewald (forest), Grunewald forest at Hüttenweg 47. Densely planted with conifers and design ...
in Berlin.
In 1962, the Käthe-Dorsch-Gasse was named after her in Vienna. In 1966 in
Gropiusstadt
Gropiusstadt () is a locality () within the Berlin borough () 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 projected in a modernis ...
, a high rise building was named Käthe-Dorsch-Ring.
Partial filmography
* ''
The Queen's Secretary'' (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'' (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 British television series created by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan portrays Number Six (The Prisoner), Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a The Village (The Prisoner), mysteri ...
'' (1920) – Crusius, Hertha, Tochter, Braut
* ''
The Sins of the Mother'' (1921) – Louisa
* ''
Miss Julie
''Miss 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 a count in Sweden. ...
'' (1922) – Christine – Kitchen Maid
* ''
Does a Woman Have to Become a Mother?'' (1924) - Else Hardt, geb Wolf
* ''Die Lindenwirtin'' (1930) - Annemarie Babinger, Landwirtin
* ''
Three Days of Love'' (1931) - Lena
* ''
Savoy Hotel 217
''Savoy Hotel 217'' (German: ''Savoy-Hotel 217'') is a 1936 German mystery 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 ...
'' (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 a feminine given name, the French feminine form of Yves (given name), Yves, which means Taxus, yew or archery, archer in some cases.
Variations
* Catalan language, Catalan: Ivet
* Czech language, Czech: Yveta
* Dutch language, ...
'' (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 S ...
'' (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
* ''
The Prisoner
''The Prisoner'' is a British television series created by Patrick McGoohan. McGoohan portrays Number Six (The Prisoner), Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a The Village (The Prisoner), mysteri ...
'' (1949) - Eugenie - Marquise de Troissaules
* ''
Regine'' (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
Actresses from Bavaria