Ferdinand Dessoir
Encyclopedia
Ferdinand August Dessoir, born Ferdinand August Dessauer (January 29, 1836, Breslau – April 15, 1892, Dresden
) was a German
actor
; son of Leopold Dessauer.
He was trained for the stage by Werner Mannheim, and made his début in 1852 as the Prince in Dorf und Stadt. In the following year he went to Mainz
, where he remained until 1855, when he appeared at Heidelberg
. Vienna
was his next engagement, in 1856; followed in 1857 by Stettin; 1857–61, Leipzig
; 1861–63, Bremen
; 1863–64, Weimar
. From 1864 to 1867 he played at the Hoftheater in Berlin; after which he returned to Weimar, in 1868. He next went to the Lobetheater in Breslau, in 1868–69. The following seven years were spent at the Hoftheater, Dresden; from 1877 to 1878 at the Thalia Theater
in Hamburg
; from 1878 to 1879 at the Residenz Theater in Dresden; and in 1880 he played at Prague
.
Dessauer became insane during a performance, and never acted again. His principal roles were Kaufmann Bloom, Mephisto
, Falstaff, Muley Hassan, Riccaut, Chalisac, and Hans Lange.
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
; son of Leopold Dessauer.
He was trained for the stage by Werner Mannheim, and made his début in 1852 as the Prince in Dorf und Stadt. In the following year he went to Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
, where he remained until 1855, when he appeared at Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
. Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
was his next engagement, in 1856; followed in 1857 by Stettin; 1857–61, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
; 1861–63, Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
; 1863–64, Weimar
Weimar
Weimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899...
. From 1864 to 1867 he played at the Hoftheater in Berlin; after which he returned to Weimar, in 1868. He next went to the Lobetheater in Breslau, in 1868–69. The following seven years were spent at the Hoftheater, Dresden; from 1877 to 1878 at the Thalia Theater
Thalia Theater (Hamburg)
The Thalia Theater is one of the three state-owned theatres in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded in 1843 by Charles Maurice Schwartzenberger and named after the muse Thalia...
in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
; from 1878 to 1879 at the Residenz Theater in Dresden; and in 1880 he played at Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Dessauer became insane during a performance, and never acted again. His principal roles were Kaufmann Bloom, Mephisto
Mephisto
Mephisto or Mephistopheles is one of the chief demons of German literary tradition.Mephisto or Mephistopheles may also refer to:* Mephisto , a high-speed human-powered vehicle...
, Falstaff, Muley Hassan, Riccaut, Chalisac, and Hans Lange.