Hoppe, Marianne (1909–2002)

German actress of stage and screen. Born in Rostock, Germany, April 26, 1909; died Oct 23, 2002, in Siegsdorf, Bavaria; attended Koönigin Luise Academy; studied acting at Deutsches Theater; m. Gustav Gruündgens (actor-director), June 22, 1926 (div. 1946); children: Benedikt.

Made debut at Buühne der Jugend, or Young People's Theatre Group, in Berlin (1928); joined Max Reinhardt's Deutsches Theater, where she often played masculine roles; known for her modern acting style, worked in Frankfurt am Main (1930–32), after which she joined the Kammerspiele in Munich, where for several years she acted under director Otto Falckenberg; made screen debut in Judas von Tirol (Judas of the Tyrol, 1933), then appeared in Heideschulmeister Uwe Karsten (Schoolmaster Uwe Karsten, 1933); became one of Germany's leading film actresses after appearing as Elke in Der Schimmelreiter (The Rider of the White Steed); best known for her serious roles, notably in the melodramas Auf Wiedersehen, Franziska! (1941) and Romanze in Moll (Romance in a Minor Key, 1943), and appearances in such Americanized films as Capriolen (Caprices, 1938) and Kongo-Express (1939); also praised for her performance as Effi Briest in Der Schritt vom Wege (The False Step, 1939), directed by husband; made tv debut in long-running detective series "Der Komissar" (The Commissioner, 1961); last memorable stage performances was as the mother in Tankred Dorst's Chimborazo in Berlin (1975). Named a permanent member of West Germany's Akademie der Kuünste (1965).

See also Women in World History.