Albert Bassermann is a German film and theater actor who was considered one of the greatest German-speaking actors of the first half of the 20th century and received the prestigious ring of Iffland. His wife, Elsa Bassermann, was often his stage partner.
Biography
Albert Bassermann was born on September 7, 1867 in the city of Magneim, Germany, in the merchant family Bassermann, which also originated in Baden-Palatinate. Father - Wilhelm Bassermann, plant owner, mother - Anna Pffiefer. Uncle Albert was a renowned actor and theater director. It was he who later helped Albert prepare for the theater.
He was educated at the Technical University of Karlsruhe as a chemical engineer in 1884/85.
Career in Germany
In 1891, Albert Bassermann announced his engagement to his future wife Elsa.
He began his acting career in 1887, when, under the guidance of his uncle Augustus, he began preparations for the theater stage. Immediately after the engagement, he began working at the court theater in Mining, where he gained practical experience for 4 years.
Then, having received the first experience, in 1895 he moved to the capital of Germany - Berlin, and played in the theater troupe of Otto Brahm. In 1904 he began working at the German Theater, and from 1909 at the Lessing Theater.
From 1909 to 1915, in parallel with a career at the Lessnig Theater, Bussermann accepted an offer to collaborate with Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. Here he played the role of Othello in 1910, Faust in the second part with Friedrich Kaisper in 1911, Shylock in The Merchant of Venice and August Strindberg in The Tempest with Gertrude Eysold in 1913. Thus, Bussermann in the period from 1909 to 1915 did not belong to the troupe of the German Theater, nor to the troupe of the Lessnig Theater, but was, as it were, a free actor - freelancer.
In 1911 he received the highest theatrical award in Germany - the Ring of Iffland from Friedrich Hase. In 1954 Bassermann put this ring on the coffin of his late friend and stage partner Alexander Moissy. Since then, this ring has belonged to the Werner Krauss Cartel Association of German-speaking Stage Workers and the Austrian Republic.
Bassermann was one of the first German actors to appear in cinematography. In 1913, he starred in The Other, Hallers' attorney directed by Max Mack. Fil was based on the play of the same name by Paul Lindau.
In 1915 he got a role in the film "Game" with Viktor Barnovsky at the German cinema. He has starred with other German silent film directors: Richard Oswald, Ernst Lubitsch, Leopold Jessner and Lulu Pick.
In 1928 Bassermann was invited to the first production of Karl Zuckmayker's "Catharina Knie", and in the same year - to the play "Verneuil" to Herr Lambertier.
Career abroad
Immediately after the Nazis came to power, Bussermann felt the pressure of the regime. The fact is that Albert's wife Elsa was Jewish by nationality, and Albert was forbidden to perform anywhere until he divorced.
In 1933, Bassermann, protesting against the Nazi policies of the Third Reich, first moved to Austria. After the annexation of Austria to the Nazi German Empire, he emigrated to Switzerland in 1938 and then to the United States with his wife.
According to the memoirs of Albert's contemporaries, Basserman refused to perform in Germany during the Hitler era, even despite the fact that the Fuhrer appreciated Albert as a person and as an actor.
In America, not everything went smoothly: Bussermann could not perform for a long time due to his poor knowledge of English. But with the help of his wife, he was able to phonetically learn lines of text and found work as a voice actor.
Thus, he was able to play the role of the Dutch statesman Van Meer in Alfred Hitchcock's film Foreign Correspondent (1940). For this role, Bassermann was nominated for the 1940 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
In 1944, Albert made his Broadway debut as Franz Werfel in Appropriated Heaven.
Bassermann returned to Europe only in 1946 after the end of World War II.
But even after 80 years, Albert continued to play roles in theater and cinema. According to the memoirs of his contemporaries, in the spirit of the times, he understood rather complex roles, understood other actors well, even those with whom he worked for the first time.
His most famous post-war roles were:
- Paul Osborne's guest performance "The Sky Awaits" at the Vienna People's Theater;
- the role of the main builder in Henrik Ibsen's production of Solness, the proceeds of which went to the victims of the Nazi terror;
- in The Ghosts of Ibsen, directed by Walter Firner.
Many of Bassermann's premieres were attended by such important persons as Federal President Karl Renner, Chancellor Leopold Feegl, Vienna Mayor Theodor Kerner, representatives of the occupying powers.
In his last years, Albert took part in several German-language productions: "Copen's Father" by Michael Crammer, "Strize" or "The Rape of Sabina" by Nathan the Wise, "Attinghausen" by William Tell.
He often flew to performances in the United States. Bussermann's last film role was in 1948 in the British ballet film The Red Ballet Flats.
Personal life and death
Bessermann has been married since 1908 to Elsa or Elizabeth Sarah Schiff (1878-1961). During the marriage, they had a daughter, Carmen. In 1970, Carmen died in a fatal road accident.
Basserman died in 1952 in Zurich immediately after the flight from New York to Zurich. Buried in the central cemetery in his hometown of Mannheim. In memory of the actor, one of the streets of the city was named in his honor, and since 1929 Albert himself was awarded the title of an honorary citizen of this city. A barrel-shaped shell rock tombstone was installed on Bussermann's grave.
After his death, Albert left a wristwatch named after him, which was given to the actor Martin Held in recognition of his skill and art. Martin subsequently passed them on to actor Martin Benrath, then to the director of the radio drama and long-term director of Suddeutscher Rundfunk Otto Duben. Since May 1, 2012, actor Ulrich Mattes has become their owner.
Awards
In 1911, Albert Bassermann was awarded the Iffland Ring.
In 1929 - the title of honorary citizen of the city of Mannheim, the hometown of Albert.
In 1944 - the Oscar in the category "Best Supporting Actor".
In 1946 - the title of an honorary citizen of the city of Vienna, Austria.
In 1949 - the Schiller Medal from the city of Mannheim.
In addition, Bussermann was an honorary member of the German scene's cooperative.
