Margarete Schön
Encyclopedia
Margarete Schön was a German
stage and film actress whose career spanned nearly fifty years. She is possibly best recalled internationally for her role as Kriemhild in director Fritz Lang
's 1924
series of two silent
fantasy films Die Nibelungen
- Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge.
, Germany
as Margarete Schippang, she received private acting lessons with the theatre actor Hans Calm in Dessau
. In 1912 she made her stage debut in Bad Freienwalde
. Shortly thereafter, she received a commitment at the municipal theater of Bromberg (now, Bydgoszcz, in present-day Poland). From 1915 to 1918 she was part of the ensemble cast of the Deutsches Theater
in Hannover, and from 1918 to 1945 she performed at the Staatstheater Berlin
.
-directed Du meine Himmelskönigin. She would spend the next two years in several small roles for directors Carl Froelich
, Hanna Henning, Alfred Halm, Walter Schmidthässler and her husband, director Robert Dinesen before earning a starring role in Urban Gad
's 1922 drama Hanneles Himmelfahrt.
It would 1924's release of Fritz Lang's two-part fantasy serial Die Nibelungen
that would cement her popularity in Germany and achieve international recognition as an actress. Co-written by Lang's then-wife Thea von Harbou
, the films were based the epic poem Nibelungenlied
written around AD 1200. Schön had a starring role as the vengeful Kriemhild, opposite actor Paul Richter
's role as the epic hero Siegfried
.
Schön made the transition to sound film
s with ease and her film career was prolific through the 1930s. During the Second World War she appeared in approximately ten films, but generally avoided roles in Nazi propaganda films
and stayed decidedly apolitical. One exception was an uncredited bit part in Veit Harlan
's 1945 nationalistic film Kolberg. One of her most popular roles was of the era was the character Frau Knauer in the Helmut Weiss-directed comedy Die Feuerzangenbowle
in 1944 for Terra-Filmkunst studios.
After the Second World War Margarete Schön continued in West German
films as a popular character actress, she also worked extensivley as a radio personality. From from 1948 to 1950 she worked for Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft
(DEFA), the public-owned film studio of East Germany. She retired from acting in 1960.
director Robert Dineson. In 1968, she was awarded the Bundesfilmpreis for many years of outstanding achievements in German film. She died Berlin, Germany in 1985.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
stage and film actress whose career spanned nearly fifty years. She is possibly best recalled internationally for her role as Kriemhild in director Fritz Lang
Fritz Lang
Friedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute...
's 1924
1924 in film
-Events:* Entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer Pictures to create Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer...
series of two silent
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
fantasy films Die Nibelungen
Die Nibelungen
Die Nibelungen is a series of two silent fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924: Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge....
- Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge.
Stage career
Born in in MagdeburgMagdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
, Germany
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...
as Margarete Schippang, she received private acting lessons with the theatre actor Hans Calm in Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
. In 1912 she made her stage debut in Bad Freienwalde
Bad Freienwalde
Bad Freienwalde is a spa town in the Märkisch-Oderland district in Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated on an old branch of the Oder river at the northwestern rim of the Oderbruch basin, east of Eberswalde, and northeast of Berlin, near the border with Poland...
. Shortly thereafter, she received a commitment at the municipal theater of Bromberg (now, Bydgoszcz, in present-day Poland). From 1915 to 1918 she was part of the ensemble cast of the Deutsches Theater
Deutsches Theater
The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is a well-known German theatre. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street , the Deutsches Theater consists of two adjoining stages that share a common, classical facade...
in Hannover, and from 1918 to 1945 she performed at the Staatstheater Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Film career
In 1919, Margarete Schön made her film debut in the Carl WilhelmCarl Wilhelm
Carl Wilhelm was a prolific German film director, film producer and screenwriter of the silent film era, at the end of which his career apparently entirely faded away and he vanished into obscurity....
-directed Du meine Himmelskönigin. She would spend the next two years in several small roles for directors Carl Froelich
Carl Froelich
Carl August Froelich was a German film pioneer and film director.-Apparatus builder and cameraman:...
, Hanna Henning, Alfred Halm, Walter Schmidthässler and her husband, director Robert Dinesen before earning a starring role in Urban Gad
Urban Gad
Peter Urban Gad was a Danish film director. He directed 40 film between 1910 and 1927. His wife Asta Nielsen starred in 30 of his films. Also in his debut the famous movie Afgrunden from 1910. They moved to Germany in 1911 where Gad worked until 1922.His uncle was Paul Gauguin...
's 1922 drama Hanneles Himmelfahrt.
It would 1924's release of Fritz Lang's two-part fantasy serial Die Nibelungen
Die Nibelungen
Die Nibelungen is a series of two silent fantasy films created by Austrian director Fritz Lang in 1924: Die Nibelungen: Siegfried and Die Nibelungen: Kriemhild's Revenge....
that would cement her popularity in Germany and achieve international recognition as an actress. Co-written by Lang's then-wife Thea von Harbou
Thea von Harbou
Thea Gabriele von Harbou was a German actress, author and film director of Prussian aristocratic origin. She was born in Tauperlitz in the Kingdom of Bavaria.-Early work:...
, the films were based the epic poem Nibelungenlied
Nibelungenlied
The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. The story tells of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, how he was murdered, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge....
written around AD 1200. Schön had a starring role as the vengeful Kriemhild, opposite actor Paul Richter
Paul Richter
Paul Richter was an Austrian film actor. He married the actress Aud Egede-Nissen and was stepfather to Georg Richter.-Selected filmography:* The Indian Tomb * Die Nibelungen * The Sorceror...
's role as the epic hero Siegfried
Siegfried
Siegfried is a German language male given name, meaning "victory peace".Siegfried may also refer to:-People:* Sigfrid of Sweden , English missionary to Sweden and patron saint of Växjö...
.
Schön made the transition to sound film
Sound film
A sound film is a motion picture with synchronized sound, or sound technologically coupled to image, as opposed to a silent film. The first known public exhibition of projected sound films took place in Paris in 1900, but decades would pass before sound motion pictures were made commercially...
s with ease and her film career was prolific through the 1930s. During the Second World War she appeared in approximately ten films, but generally avoided roles in Nazi propaganda films
Propaganda Films
Propaganda Films was a prolific and successful music video and film production company founded in 1983 by producers Steve Golin and Sigurjón Sighvatsson and directors David Fincher, Nigel Dick, Greg Gold and Dominic Sena...
and stayed decidedly apolitical. One exception was an uncredited bit part in Veit Harlan
Veit Harlan
Veit Harlan was a German film director and actor.-Life and career:Harlan was born in Berlin. After studying under Max Reinhardt, he first appeared on the stage in 1915 and, after World War I, worked in the Berlin stage. In 1922 he married Jewish actress and cabaret singer Dora Gerson; the couple...
's 1945 nationalistic film Kolberg. One of her most popular roles was of the era was the character Frau Knauer in the Helmut Weiss-directed comedy Die Feuerzangenbowle
Die Feuerzangenbowle
Die Feuerzangenbowle is a German book, later adapted into several films, which tells the story of a famous writer going undercover as a pupil at a small town gymnasium after his friends tell him that he missed out on the best part of growing up by being educated at home...
in 1944 for Terra-Filmkunst studios.
After the Second World War Margarete Schön continued in West German
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
films as a popular character actress, she also worked extensivley as a radio personality. From from 1948 to 1950 she worked for Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft
Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft
Deutsche Film-Aktiengesellschaft, better known as DEFA, was the public-owned film studio in East Germany throughout that country's history.-History:...
(DEFA), the public-owned film studio of East Germany. She retired from acting in 1960.
Personal life
Margaret Schön was married to DanishDanes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
director Robert Dineson. In 1968, she was awarded the Bundesfilmpreis for many years of outstanding achievements in German film. She died Berlin, Germany in 1985.