Werner, Ilse

ACTOR (INDONESIA)
BORN 11 Jul 1921, Jakarta - DIED 8 Aug 2005, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein
BIRTH NAME Still, Ilse Charlotte
CAUSE OF DEATH pneumonia
GRAVE LOCATION Potsdam, Brandenburg: Friedhof Goethestraße, Goethestrasse 12, Babelsberg-Nord

Daughter of a Dutch merchant who owned a plantation in Indonesia. Her mother was German. In 1931 she moved with her parents to Frankfurt am Main in Germany and in 1934 they settled in Vienna. In 1937 she debuted in "Glück" at the Josephstadttheater in Wien. In 1938 she was contracted by UFA and moved to Berlin.

The nazis approved of her and her fame grew quickly. She starred in "Bel Ami" (1939) and in "Das Wunschkonzert" (1940). She was also in "Münchhausen" (1943) as Isabella d'Este. Her first character part was in "Große Freiheit Nr. 7", but this movie was banned by the nazis. After the war she wasn't permitted to work for a while (she was suspected of nazi propaganda), but in 1946 she was allowed to resume her career.

From 1948 until 1953 she was married to the American journalist John de Forest and she lived with him in Los Angeles. In 1954 she married orchestra leader Josef Niessen and she ended her career. In 1955 she became a German citizen. In 1960 she made a comeback and afterwards acted in theatres and on television. In 1981 she published her autobiography, "So wird's nie wieder sein. Ein Leben mit Pfiff" (She was famous for her whistling).

In December 2004 she donated her personal collection to the filmmuseum in Potsdam. She left no money when she died in 2005 and the city of Potsdam paid for her grave at the Nowawes Cemetery in Potsdam-Babelsberg.

Family
• Husband: Niessen, Josef (1954-1966) (divorce or separation)

Related persons
• cooperated with Albers, Hans
• was discovered by Bochmann, Werner

Images

Ilse Werner.
(1941-1944)

 

Ilse Werner.
(1941-1944)

 

The grave of Ilse Werner at the Friedhof Nowawes, Potsdam.
Picture by Androom (27 Mar 2007)

 

Sources
Internet Movie Database
Ilse Werner


Werner, Margot

Published: 06 May 2007
Last update: 27 Jan 2022