Joachim Gottschalk
Encyclopedia
Joachim Gottschalk was a European movie star during the 1930s, a romantic lead in the style of Leslie Howard
. He starred in a series of German films opposite the popular German actress Brigitte Horney
.
, Brandenburg
, Germany
, married a Jewish woman, Meta Wolff, shortly before Hitler came to power, and they had a half-Jewish son, Michael. The Gottschalks managed to avoid the anti-Semitic Nuremberg laws and rising tide of anti-semitic violence in Nazi Germany because of "Joschy" Gottschalk's immense popularity with the public. Then, Gottschalk took his Jewish wife to a social function and introduced her to some of the prominent Nazis who were present. Although the Nazis were charmed, the Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels
(a virulent anti-Semite) learned about this incident, and decreed that Gottschalk would be required to separate from his Jewish wife. When Gottschalk refused, Goebbels ordered Gottschalk's wife and child transported to the Theresienstadt
concentration camp. Gottschalk insisted on accompanying Meta and Michael to Theresienstadt, but Goebbels ordered Gottschalk inducted into the German Army, the Wehrmacht
.
In November 1941, minutes before the expected arrival of the Gestapo, Gottschalk and his wife committed suicide by gas poisoning after sedating their son, who died with them. They are buried at the Stahnsdorf Friedhof on the south-western edge of Berlin
.
Goebbels ordered no further mentions of Gottschalk in the German newspapers, but word got out anyway and millions of German women mourned his death. Because of Nazi censorship, most of his devoted fans did not learn the awful circumstances of his death until after the war.
This incident poisoned the already-tense relationship between Goebbels and the German film community, which already referred to the Reich Propaganda Minister (behind his back) as "Mickey Mouse" because of his pinched face and huge ears.
In a bizarre parallel, Goebbels and his wife committed suicide a few years later in Hitler's Berlin bunker
and poisoned all six of their young children. In Goebbels' case, the motive for his suicide was fear of being captured by the advancing Soviet Army, which was less than a mile away. Goebbels had played a major role in the Holocaust, including the production of a series of anti-Semitic films, and he knew he would have been put on trial and executed for crimes against humanity, had he lived.
Leslie Howard (actor)
Leslie Howard was an English stage and film actor, director, and producer. Among his best-known roles was Ashley Wilkes in Gone with the Wind and roles in Berkeley Square , Of Human Bondage , The Scarlet Pimpernel , The Petrified Forest , Pygmalion , Intermezzo , Pimpernel Smith...
. He starred in a series of German films opposite the popular German actress Brigitte Horney
Brigitte Horney
Brigitte Horney was a German theatre and film actress. Best remembered was her role as Empress Katherine the Great in the 1943 version of the UFA film version of Baron Munchhausen, directed by Josef von Báky, with Hans Albers in the title role.-Life and work:Brigitte Horney was the daughter of...
.
Life and work
Gottschalk, who was born in CalauCalau
Calau is a small town in the Oberspreewald-Lausitz district, in southern Brandenburg, Germany. It is situated 14 km south of Lübbenau, and 27 km west of Cottbus...
, Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, married a Jewish woman, Meta Wolff, shortly before Hitler came to power, and they had a half-Jewish son, Michael. The Gottschalks managed to avoid the anti-Semitic Nuremberg laws and rising tide of anti-semitic violence in Nazi Germany because of "Joschy" Gottschalk's immense popularity with the public. Then, Gottschalk took his Jewish wife to a social function and introduced her to some of the prominent Nazis who were present. Although the Nazis were charmed, the Nazi propaganda chief Joseph Goebbels
Joseph Goebbels
Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945. As one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates and most devout followers, he was known for his zealous oratory and anti-Semitism...
(a virulent anti-Semite) learned about this incident, and decreed that Gottschalk would be required to separate from his Jewish wife. When Gottschalk refused, Goebbels ordered Gottschalk's wife and child transported to the Theresienstadt
Theresienstadt concentration camp
Theresienstadt concentration camp was a Nazi German ghetto during World War II. It was established by the Gestapo in the fortress and garrison city of Terezín , located in what is now the Czech Republic.-History:The fortress of Terezín was constructed between the years 1780 and 1790 by the orders...
concentration camp. Gottschalk insisted on accompanying Meta and Michael to Theresienstadt, but Goebbels ordered Gottschalk inducted into the German Army, the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
.
In November 1941, minutes before the expected arrival of the Gestapo, Gottschalk and his wife committed suicide by gas poisoning after sedating their son, who died with them. They are buried at the Stahnsdorf Friedhof on the south-western edge of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
Goebbels ordered no further mentions of Gottschalk in the German newspapers, but word got out anyway and millions of German women mourned his death. Because of Nazi censorship, most of his devoted fans did not learn the awful circumstances of his death until after the war.
This incident poisoned the already-tense relationship between Goebbels and the German film community, which already referred to the Reich Propaganda Minister (behind his back) as "Mickey Mouse" because of his pinched face and huge ears.
In a bizarre parallel, Goebbels and his wife committed suicide a few years later in Hitler's Berlin bunker
Führerbunker
The Führerbunker was located beneath Hitler's New Reich Chancellery in Berlin, Germany. It was part of a subterranean bunker complex which was constructed in two major phases, one part in 1936 and the other in 1943...
and poisoned all six of their young children. In Goebbels' case, the motive for his suicide was fear of being captured by the advancing Soviet Army, which was less than a mile away. Goebbels had played a major role in the Holocaust, including the production of a series of anti-Semitic films, and he knew he would have been put on trial and executed for crimes against humanity, had he lived.
Filmography
- Du und Ich (1938) (with Brigitte Horney)
- Aufruhr in Damaskus (1939) (with Brigitte Horney)
- Eine Frau wie Du (1939) (with Brigitte Horney)
- Flucht ins Dunkel (1939)
- Ein Leben Lang (1940)
- Das Mädchen von Fanö (1941) (with Brigitte Horney)
- Die Schwedische Nachtigall (1941)