Spira, Camilla (1906-1997)

Spira, Camilla

ACTOR (GERMANY)

BORN 1 Mar 1906, Hamburg - DIED 26 Aug 1997, Berlin
GRAVE LOCATION Berlin: Waldfriedhof Dahlem, Hüttenweg 47, Steglitz-Zehlendorf (Feld 004-690)

Camilla Spira entered the stage at a young age. When she was 13 years old she was already a scholar at the Max-Reinhardt-seminar in Berlin.

In 1926 she played in her first movie and in 1930 she had her break in the theatre with her part as Josepha Vogelhuber in the first production of Ralph Benatzki's "Im weißen Rössl". But after the nazis came to power in 1933 she was no longer allowed to work because she was Jewish.

In 1938 she emigrated with her husband and her two children to the Netherlands. But that country was occupied by Germany in 1940 and she had to go in hiding in Amsterdam. In 1943 she was taken to the concentration camp Westenbork with her daughter Susanne, known in later years as the politician Susanne Thaler (d.2003). The family survived the war and after the fall of the nazis she resumed her career in Germany. She was successful in movies like "Der Tolle Bomberg", where she played next to Hans Albers.

After her husband died in 1977 she lived in Berlin. Her sister Steffi Spira-Ruschin was also an actress.

Events

8/11/1930

Premiere of Ralph Benatzky's operetta "Im weißen Rößl" in Berlin. The performance took place in the Große Schauspielhaus in Berlin. Max hansen was Leopold and Camilla Spira was Josepha. Ernst Stein was the stage designer. The only opera singer in the cast was Walter Jankuhn. [Benatzky, Ralph]

Images
The grave of Camilla Spira at the Waldfriedhof Dahlem, Berlin. Picture by androom (24 Aug 2006)	Camilla Spira. Picture by Ernst Sandau, Berlin