Zarah Leander (1907-1981)

[Durand]

[Several threads dealing with Zarah Leander have been merged. Ivan Ž.]

Hallo,

There is a web site devoted to her at: http://www.zarahleander.de

Regards,

Durand

[Johnny]

Nice link Durand, couldn't find the pictures of her from "Signal" though, maybe I just wasn't looking hard enough?
/J

[Helly Angel]

From "The Encyclopedia of the Third Reich" by Christian Zentner, pages 533-534

Zarah Leander née Hedberg. Born in Karlstad (Sweden) on March 15, 1907; died in Stockolm, June 23, 1981. Swedish actress and singer. After minor stage an film roles, Leander was discovered by Carl August Froelich as the German cinema´s new "Marlene Dietrich".

She then began a career as the "loveliest diva" of National Socialist films. Her appearence recalled that of the American vamp. ( as exemplified by Greta Garbo or Mae West); with erotich radiance she portrayed mainly singers and courtesans, as in Es war eine rauschende Ballnacht (It Was and Intoxicating Evening at the Ball; 1939). She won additional popularity in her musical films; with torch songs delivered in a husky voice. Leander incarnated -and not only for male viewers- "the longing for an escape from the regimentation of everyday life" (Patalas).

Leander did not openly espouse National Socialism, but along with preporantly exotic roles, as in "La Habanera" (1937), she appeared in such propaganda films as Heimat (Homeland: 1939). In Die Grosse Liebe (The Great Love: 1945) she was completely transformed from a Vamp to a soldier´s bride. Her adoption by the National Socialism made it impossible for Leander to regain her earlier renown after the war.

From http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0495136/bio

Spouse:
Arne Hülphers (1949 - 1978) (his death)
Vidar Forsell (1932 - 1943) (divorced)
Nils Leander (1926 - 1929) (divorced) 2 children

Trivia
Sometimes called "the Nazi Garbo" and, like Garbo, she was a Swede whose greatest film successes came while working in a foreign language (German)

Sister of Gustav Hedberg.

Before and during World War 2 Zarah was very popular in Germany were she worked. In 1937 she was on the cover of 80 German magazines.

Her first husband was the actor Nils Leander (1926 - 1929, divorced). Their children were Boel (girl) born 1926 and Göran (boy) born 1929. Husband no 2: The journalist (after they married he became her manager) Vidar Forsell. They were married 1932 - 1943. No children. Husband no 3: The pianist Arne Hülphers, who she worked with for 25 years. They were married 1949 - 1978 (his death).

After the war she never seemed to understand why people couldn't accept that she was a non-political figure who only wanted to make happy musicals and happened to do so in Nazi Germany.

Shocked her friends in the mostly liberal (anti-Nazi) Swedish theatre community, by choosing pass on offers from England and the U.S.A. to instead make films in Germany.

Zarah Leander continued to produce movies in Nazi Germany even after two of her grandparents (Jews) died in the concentration camps.

Owned a big mansion, Lönö, outside Norrköping, Sweden.

I remember, I did read long time ago a real scene where Goebbels in a close meeting in the Reichkanzlei in Berlin, ask to Zarah: "... By the way, the name "Sara" is not jewish my dear?..." Zarah smile and answered "Oh, yes Reichsminister... and by the way the name Josef too!"

[David C. Clarke]

Zarah Leander continued to produce movies in Nazi Germany even after two of her grandparents (Jews) died in the concentration camps.

?????????

Did she know? How did their deaths come about?

Bestens,
~D, the EviL

[Helly Angel]

Well you know! this is the part where the sweden researchers take the word!

[varjag]

Zarah Leander continued to produce movies in Nazi Germany even after two of her grandparents (Jews) died in the concentration camps.

I think that's rubbish. Because of her career in Nazi-Germany she was ostracised in her native Sweden for many years - and shunned as a leper by the media. Gradually and occasionally - she made it back to TV where I've seen her. No matter what she did in Germany - she was witty, sharp and had an enourmous 'stage presence'. Many 'lesser artists' were all too pleased not to have to face her 'competition' on stage.

[Johan Björklund]

I have checked Leanders family tree and she had no jewish grandparents there.
It is true she recieved a frosty welcome when she returned to Sweden.
Mostly turncoats who now understood that germany coul not win the war avoided her.
Interestingly a swedish big shot entertainer who had been anti-nazi throughout the war defended her when she was accussed of being a nazi.
She never tried to hide her past and never (like Leni Riefenstahl) tried to make people think she actually had been anti-nazi.
After some bad years she was again accepted from the fifties and to her death.Interwiewers on tv mostly avoided the subject with her.
She was ag ood actress andgermany during the thirties was at its peak (they were ahead of Hollywood concerning colour movies for example).
Her reasons for going there were hardly political.
Shunning her when she came back was not so very coragous.

[Topspeed]

Mr.Björklund,

Did any of her relatives come from Finland ?

Juke T

[Johan Björklund]

Mr. Topspeed.
I have traced her family back for 12 generations (early 1500), and her family is filled with peasants, almost whitout exeption from Värmland.
So 500 years of evolution brought one famous familymember!
Perhaps the lack of finnish blood?
Hyvää päivä etc.

[Einsamer_Wolf]

I have checked Leanders family tree and she had no jewish grandparents there.

I am taking your word for it, mostly because I know that the one Jewish grandparent rule was uniformly applied. I suppose one cannot believe everything they read.

[bwh]

I hope those interested in this superstar saw the Discovey Channel programme about her last week. Although based to PC-views it contained some exellent clips fom some of her movies - as to UFA she said they paid peanuts - the gold mine was the sale of her records. The programme will probably be repeated - if so, DON`T miss it!!

[Vlaanderen]

For all those Zarah fans out there a short clip taken from a documentary on Belgian television on music of the war years (encoded with divx 5.0.).

http://home.deds.nl/~loki/Zarah%20Leand ... 0unter.avi

By the way does any of you have an idea where this footage comes from? Is it a part of one of her films?

Best regards,

Vlaanderen

[Bittrich]

I was watching the History (International) Channel here in the U.S. today. They had a program on Zarah Leander. I was wondering what other people here in the forum think about her? According to her son and others she was not a fan of Hitler, but made numerous movies in the Third Reich. Does that implicate her in any way as being a Nazi?

Also after the show I wondered if Eva Braun or Magda Goebbles had not committed suicide if they would have been put on trial like there husbands surely would have? I would think not, but knowing how the allies felt about the Germans especially discovering there treatment toward the Jews.

Any comments would be welcome.

[Jan-Hendrik]

Well , being an actor in Third Reich does not implicate that you have been a nazi ( for example the great Heinz Rühmann played in many films at that period , but nobody would have called him a nazi , or the great Heinrich George and so on , and so on ...) . Zarah was an great actress & singer . And she was not german

Jan-Hendrik

[DXTR]

Also after the show I wondered if Eva Braun or Magda Goebbles had not committed suicide if they would have been put on trial like there husbands surely would have? I would think not, but knowing how the allies felt about the Germans especially discovering there treatment toward the Jews

While this is not a place to discuss war crimes, no german was brought before the IMT (International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg) just because the allies was shocked by the holocaust. In order to be indicted one had to take an active part in crimes against peace, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

the allied issued the following order for the apprehension and indictment of possible axis war criminals

Control Council Law No. 10
Punishment of Persons Guilty of War Crimes, Crimes Against Peace and Against Humanity
(December 20 1945)

Article II
1. Each of the following acts is recognized as a crime:

(a) Crimes against Peace. Initiation of invasions of other countries and wars of aggression in violation of international laws and treaties, including but not limited to planning, preparation, initiation or waging a war of aggression, or a war of violation of international treaties, agreements or assurances, or participation in a common plan or conspiracy for the accomplishment of any of the foregoing.

(b) War Crimes. Atrocities or offenses against persons or property constituting violations of the laws or customs of war, including but not limited to, murder, ill treatment or deportation to slave labour or for any other purpose, of civilian population from occupied territory, murder or ill treatment of prisoners of war or persons on the seas, killing of hostages, plunder of public or private property, wanton destruction of cities, towns or villages, or devastation not justified by military necessity.

(a) Crimes against Humanity. Atrocities and offenses, including but not limited to murder, extermination, enslavement, deportation, imprisonment, torture, rape, or other inhumane acts committed against any civilian population, or persecutions on political, racial or religious grounds whether or not in violation of the domestic laws of the country where perpetrated.

(d) Membership in categories of a criminal group or organization declared criminal by the International Military Tribunal.

2. Any person without regard to nationality or the capacity in which he acted, is deemed to have committed a crime as defined in paragraph 1 of this Article, if he was (a) a principal or (b) was an accessory to the commission of any such crime or ordered or abetted the same or (c) took a consenting part therein or (d) was connected with plans or enterprises involving its commission or (e) was a member of any organization or group connected with the commission of any such crime or (f) with reference to paragraph 1 (a) if he held a high political, civil or military (including General Staff) position in Germany or in one of its Allies, co-belligerents or satellites or held high position in the financial, industrial or economic life of any such country

So it all boils down to whether Fraulein Goebbels or Braun/Hitler had any active part in the crimes except just supporting their men. But the thin line between active part and passive (i.e. just supporting their men) can be blurry at best. Since none of the women had any political power in regards to issuing orders, they might have encouraged war crimes through public appearances and speaches....

Kind regards