Bassermann, Albert (1867-1952)

Bassermann, Albert

ACTOR (GERMANY)

BORN 7 Sep 1867, Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg - DIED 15 May 1952, On a flight from New York City to Zürich
CAUSE OF DEATH heart attack
GRAVE LOCATION Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg: Hauptfriedhof, Röntgenstrasse (021, at the wall)

Albert Bassermann came from a family of merchants. His father Johann Wilhelm Bassermann (1839-1906) was a manufacturer of sewing machines. His uncle August Bassermann (1847-1931) was an actor and theatre director. After a commercial training he studied chemistry from 1884 to 1886. In 1887 he took acting lessons.

He was engaged at theatres in Mannheim and Basel. After that he worked at the Court Theatre in Meiningen for four years. In 1895 he went to Berlin, where he worked with Otto Brahm at the Deutsches Theater from 1899 until 1904 and made himself a name for his interpretations of Ibsen. He worked for the Lesssing Theater until 1909. In 1909 he returned to the Deutsches Theater where he stayed until 1915 as a member of Max Reinhardt's company. In 1913 he played in his first movie, Max Macks' "Der Andere".

He married the actress Else Schiff in 1908. They had a daughter, Carmen. In 1911 Friedrich Haasse gave him the Iffland Ring. After his death it would go to Werner Krauss. Bassermann appeared in many silent movies next to his theatre appearances. His first sound movie was the role of Colonel Picquart in "Richard Owald's "Dreyfus (1930). In 1933 he appeared in the premiere of Hanns Johst's "Schlageter" on Hitler's birthday. But by that time, he was planning his emigration. Else was Jewish and in 1934 they left Germany for Austria. After the annexation of Austria in 1938 they went to the USA.

Despite his strong Mannheim accent he had a successful acting career in Hollywood. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporing role in Hitchcock's "The Foreign Correspondent" (1940). From 1946 he worked in Europe as well as in the USA. He was past eighty at the time the actress Uta Hagen was deeply impressed by his techniques and energy when she worked with him. His last movie was "The Red Shoes" (1948). he died in 1952 of a heart attack near Zurich Airport on a flight from New York to Zurich. His daughter Carmen died in a traffic accident in 1970.

Family
• Wife: Bassermann, Else (1908-1952)

Events

2/2/1907	Premiere of Gerhart Hauptmann's play "Die Jungfern von Bischofsberg" at the Lessingtheater in Berlin. The actors included Else Lehmann (Sabine), Fritzi Schaffer (Adelheid), Grete Hofmann (Agathe), Ida Orloff (Ludowike Ruschewey), Gustav Rickelt (Onkel Gustav), Margarete Albrecht (Tante Emilie), Albert Bassermann (Nast), Mathilde Sussin (von Heyder). [Orloff, Ida]
19/4/1933	Premiere of Hanns Johst's "Schlageter" at the Staatstheater am Gendarmenmarkt in Berlin. He had dedicated the play to Adolf Hitler and the premiere took place on Hitler's birthday. The cast included Albert Basserman. Hitler was impressed by the dedication and by the play itself.

Images
The grave of Albert Bassermann at the Haptfriedhof in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. Picture by Androom (02 Jul 2024)	The graves of Albert Bassermann and Else Bassermann at the Hauptfriedhof in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. Picture by Androom (02 Jul 2024)