Helene Weigel

Intendant and Actress
1900 (Vienna, Austria)–1971 (Berlin)

Whoever thinks of Bertolt Brecht's plays and his "Berliner Ensemble" must first immediately think of the unforgettable face of Helene Weigel. Brecht created almost all of his female roles specifically with her in mind. As a performer, Helene Weigel exemplified Brecht's style far beyond his death in 1956; she consummated his theatrical legacy. She married Brecht in 1929 and shared the wandering years of exile with him, first to Switzerland, Denmark, in 1939 to Sweden, to Finland in 1940 and in 1941, finally to the USA.

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