Ossi Oswalda | |
|---|---|
 Oswalda in 1925 | |
| Born | Oswalda Amalie Anna Stäglich 2 February 1898 |
| Died | 7 March 1947 (aged 49) |
| Resting place | Olsany Cemetery |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1916–1933 |
| Spouse |
Baron Gustav Wilhelm Viktor Freiherr von Koczian-Miskolczy
(m. 1919; div. 1925) |
| Partner | Julius Außenberg |
Ossi Oswalda (born Oswalda Amalie Anna Stäglich, 2 February 1898[1] – 7 March 1947) was a German actress, who mostly appeared in silent films. She was given the nickname 'The German Mary Pickford' due to her popularity at the time.[2]
Oswalda Amalie Anna Stäglich was born on 2 February 1898, the daughter of Pauline Marie Anna Stäglich. Oswalda trained as a ballerina and became a dancer for a theater in Berlin. She made her film debut in Richard Oswald's Nächte des Grauens (Night of Horrors) before being discovered by the actor and screenwriter Hanns Kräly, who in turn recommended her to director Ernst Lubitsch. During her early career, she starred in several films by Lubitsch, including The Merry Jail, I Don't Want to Be a Man, The Oyster Princess and The Doll. Her popularity at the time earned her the nickname 'The German Mary Pickford'.[citation needed]
In 1921, Oswalda started her own film production company with her husband at the time, the Hungarian Baron Gustav Wilhelm Viktor Freiherr von Koczian-Miskolczy. However, during the next four years they only produced four films, all starring Oswalda. From 1925 on, she was contracted to Ufa. The couple divorced in 1925, and Oswalda began a high-profile affair with Wilhelm, German Crown Prince.[citation needed]
Oswalda's career waned along with the silent film era, and she only acted in two sound films, making her final appearance on screen in the 1933 film The Star of Valencia. She left Nazi Germany and fled to Prague with her Jewish partner Julius Außenberg in the 1930s.[3]
Later on, she became a stage actor, and in 1943, wrote the screenplay for the Czech film Fourteen at the Table. By spring 1947, Oswalda went bankrupt and was suffering from multiple health problems.[4]
At the age of 49, Oswalda died penniless in Prague, where she is buried at Olšany Cemetery.
