Actress
Sister of actress Steffie Spira
Daughter of Lotte Spira and Fritz Spira.
Her father was murdered in an German Concentration Camp; she was also in a Concentration Camp for a while.
Mother of Susanne Thaler.
German leading actress, trained at the drama school of the Deutsche Theater in Berlin. On stage from 1922, thereafter regularly performed in Berlin and Vienna. Film debut in 1924 in clean-cut roles. Discriminated against because of her Jewish ancestry during the Third Reich and denied acting opportunities. Emigrated to the Netherlands and narrowly escaped subsequent deportation to Auschwitz. Returned to German theatre in 1947 and also appeared in key post-war films for the East German company Defa, often in maternal roles. Kept busy with TV guest roles until the mid-1970s.
