Gobbi, Hilda (1913-1988)

Gobbi, Hilda

ACTOR (HUNGARY)

BORN 5 Jun 1913, Budapest - DIED 13 Jul 1988, Budapest
BIRTH NAME Gobbi, Hilda Emília Gizella
GRAVE LOCATION Budapest: Farkasrét cemetery (22-1-79)

Hilda Gobbi was the daughter of the Italian industrialist Ede Gobbi and his German wife Margit Schneckenburger. Her grandfather Alois Gobbi was a well known violinist. Initially the family was wealthy, but her father gambled and spent his money on other women. Hilda was educated at an School of Economics for women before she attended botany classes at the university. After securing loans she was able to study at the National Theatre Academy from 1932 to 1935. Afterwards the National Theatre contracted her and in 1937 she had her first movie part in "A kölcsönkért kastély" ("The Borrowed Castle").

After Hungary was occupied by the nazis, Hilda distributed documents forged by her father that exempted men from military service. After the war she was a member of the Communist Party, until she left it in 1956 because in her opinion the party had abandoned the people. When Gizi Bajor died in 1951 she remembered that Gizi had once given her shoes in her early years of struggle. She bought Gizi's villa and used it to create an actor's museum in 1952.

In 1959 she left the National Theatre and in 1960 she joined the József Attila Theatre. Although homosexuality was forbidden at the time she made no secret of her lesbian preferences and often used men's clothes. After the actress Hédi Temessy (1925-2001) divorced her husband she and Hilda lived together in Buda. After their relationship ended the author Erzsébet Galgóczi became her companion.

In 1971 she returned to the National Theatre and she worked there until 1982. Then she joined the József Katona Theater where she worked until her death in 1988. In 1982 she published an autobiography.

Related persons
• knew Bajor, Gizi

Images

The grave of Hilda Gobbi at the Farkasrét cemetery in Budapest.
Picture by androom (21 Aug 2006)