Porten, Henny (1890-1960)

Porten, Henny

ACTOR (GERMANY)

BORN 7 Jan 1890, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt - DIED 15 Oct 1960, Berlin
BIRTH NAME Porten, Henny Frieda Ulrike
GRAVE LOCATION Berlin: Friedhof der Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirchengemeinde, Fürstenbrunnerweg 69-79 (Familiengruft in Friedhofskapelle; memorial at the southern wall (Ehrengrab))

Henny Porten was the daughter opera singer Franz Porten. In 1895 the familiy moved to Berlin, where she grew up at Albrachtstrasse 40 in Berlin-Steglitz (there's a plaque now).

In 1906 her father directed her in her first movie "Meißner Porzellan". In 1911 she appeared in "Das Liebesglück der Blinden", written by her sister Rosa Porten (b.1884). She was the most popular German moviestar between 1910 and 1920. In 1920 she played the title role in "Anne Boleyn", next to Emil annings and directed by Ernst Lubitsch. For many years she lived at Kürfürstenstraße 58 in Berlin, now Café Einstein.

In 1919 she founded her own movie company. In 1924 it merged with Carl Froelich's company. In 1921 she married Wilhelm von Kaufmann-Asser (1888-1959), who was the director of a sanatorium in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. It was her second marriage. Her first husband was actor and director Curt A. Stark (1878-1916) who well in the First Worl War.

In 1930 she first played in a sound movie, "Skandal um Eva". It was a success, but after she refused to divorce her Jewish husband in 1933 the nazis hardly allowed her to work. She wasn't allowed to emigrate for fear of bad publicity. When her home was bombed she and her husband were homeless because sheltering Jews was forbidden. During the next twelve years she lived in Ratzeburg. After the war she had trouble resuming her career. Because she obtained only one small movie part in Western Germany in 1949, she played in two DEFA movies in Eastern Germany during the fifties, much to the dismay of the Western press.

After her husband lost his practice in 1955 and she publicly asked for work, there no longer was a place for her in the movie business. She returned to West Berlin in 1957 where she and her husband lived in poor circumstances. She outlived him for a year and died in 1960 in a hospital.

Related persons
• cooperated with Biebrach, Rudolf
• cooperated with Messter, Oskar

Images
Emil Jannings and Henny Porten in "Anna Boleyn". (1919-1924)	Henny Porten. (1927-1928)	Henny Porten. (1919-1924)
The memorial stone for Henny Porten at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Friedhof, Berlin. She was buried in the chapel of the cemetery. Picture by Androom (29 Mar 2007)	The memorial stone for Henny Porten at the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Friedhof, Berlin. She was buried in the chapel of the cemetery. Picture by Androom (29 Mar 2007)	Henny Porten in "Kammermusik". (1925)
Henny Porten.