Biography

During her long life, Iwa Wanja had a very varied career, as a silent and talking pictures actress, as a professional horse rider and as a writer. Not everybody can boast so many talents, she could! Born in Karnobat, Bulgaria on 10-10-1905, she came to Berlin to perform as an actress in the German capital. She appeared on the stage first and then in the movies. She can be seen in twenty-two silent pictures, several of which with Harry Liedtke. It is again with Liedtke that she made her first talkie in 1930, Der keusche Josef (1930) . But she subsequently appeared in only seven more films, not because she was unsuccessful, but because she had many feathers in her cap. First she was a wonderful rider and with her horse Ispahan (and seven others) she won no fewer than sixty competitions in the 1930's. Then, after the second world war, she was a busy prolific playwright. In 1943, she married composer 'Nobert Schultze' and until her death at the age of 85 she lived a happy life in Berlin.
- IMDb mini biography by: Guy Bellinger

She had a brief comeback after the war with performances in the movies "Es kommt ein Tag" (1950), "Käpt'n Bay-Bay" (1952) and "Ein Leben für Do" (1954).

The actress Iwa Wanja conquered the big screen from the middle of the 20's and was able to took apart in some remarkable movies.

Besides her activity as an actress she also wrote some books and libretti.

Her last appearances in front of the camera before the end of World War II came in the 30's into being.