Therese Giehse(1898-1975)
- Actress
Therese Giehse realized her passion for the theatre and acting at an
early age. Though her family tried to change her mind about the theater
she made her way to the stage anyway. She had a very intense friendship
with the famous German writer Thomas Mann and his children Erika and
Klaus. Klaus later dedicated his novel "Mephisto", which was a portrait
of actor Gustav Gruendgens, to her. She also found a good friend in the
writer Bertolt Brecht - she was the first actress to play his "Mother
Courage". She was Jewish and decided to leave Germany when Hitler came
to power, although it is known that he greatly appreciated her acting.
In her exile in Switzerland she founded a kind of cabaret with Erika
Mann. After the war she returned to Germany and began a new career in
films.
