Gustav von Wangenheim was a renowned German actor, film director, and screenwriter born in 1895 in Wiesbaden, Germany. His father, Eduard von Winterstein, was a prolific actor, and his mother, Minna Mengers, was a theatrical actress. Wangenheim's paternal ancestors were members of German nobility, the Freiherrs of Wangenheim.
Wangenheim began his acting career in 1914 and went on to star in several silent films, including the classic horror film "Nosferatu" (1921),where he played the character Hutter, inspired by Jonathan Harker from Bram Stoker's novel "Dracula". His other notable film was "Woman in the Moon" (1929),directed by Fritz Lang, which is considered one of the earliest science fiction films.
In 1921, Wangenheim joined the Communist Party of Germany (KPD) and established the theatrical company "Die Truppe '31" in 1931, which consisted exclusively of communists. He wrote and produced three plays for the company between 1931 and 1933.
After the Nazi regime shut down his company in 1933, Wangenheim fled to the Soviet Union, where he became a long-term resident of the "Hotel Lux" in Moscow, which housed exiles from about 50 different countries. He became the leader of Left Column, a Soviet theatrical company, and directed the film "Der Kampf" (1936),protesting against Nazi Germany's oppressive policies.
Wangenheim was implicated in the Great Purge trials in 1936 and was forced to sign papers that implicated actress Carola Neher and her husband as Trotskyites. He later became a founding member of the "National Committee for a Free Germany" in 1943.
After World War II, Wangenheim settled in East Germany and joined the state-owned film studio DEFA, serving as a film director and screenwriter for several years. He was married to writer and photographer Inge von Wangenheim from 1934 until their annulment in 1954.
Wangenheim died in 1975 at the age of 80 in East Berlin and was buried in the Friedrichsfelde cemetery in Berlin. He remains one of the most remembered actors of the German silent film period, known for his collaborations with renowned film directors.
