Lotte Hass
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Hildegard Hass (née Baierl) (born November 6, 1928 in the Brigittenau
district of Vienna
) is the second wife of the Austrian naturalist and diving pioneer Hans Hass
and worked as an underwater model and actress in several of his films. She was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame
in 2000.
Hans Hass was generally opposed to the participation of a woman on his expeditions. The participation of Lotte was finally possible, as the film company Sascha Wiener insisted that Hass's next documentary would be made more attractive to a wider audience by a pretty female lead. They chose Lotte Baierl. The multi-month expedition to the Red Sea in 1950 was very difficult, but successful. Hass was the first person to film manta
s and whale shark
s. Lotte was active there as an underwater photographer and underwater model. To the delight of the audience she wore in the film always very low swimwear fabric decorations. In 1970 she published her experiences during the expedition to the Red Sea in her book "A girl on the ocean floor".
Lotte Hass proved before the camera as a natural talent. The press were eager for interviews and photos of the sympathetic natural girl with long blond hair that was not afraid of threats and efforts under water. Soon she was seen on the front pages of leading international magazines and pages of reports. She received film offers from Hollywood, but she refused them all because sie did not want to be a full-time actress. Virtually Lotte also arrived in the United States, joined their participation in the expedition to the Red Sea in Germany and Austria, but also was criticized, because they doubted the scientific seriousness of Hans Hass. The "Hessian messages" described the expedition to the Red Sea because of Lotte's participation as a "pin-up expedition". Other Lotte Baierl mockingly titled "Lotte Haierl". As late as 1959 sneered the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" in a television criticism: "No cave without Lotte". They did not understand what a balancing act Hass had to make for the commercialization of his films: they were produced in the form of documentaries, but as a feature film reworked and presented to the audience. This combination worked surprisingly well: the film "Adventures in the Red Sea" was awarded in 1951 at the Biennale in Venice with the International Prize for feature-length documentaries.
In early November 1950, on the return flight from Port Sudan
to Vienna, Hans Hass and Lotte Baierl became engaged. Hass's marriage with his first wife, actress Hannelore Schroth
, was divorced in April 1950. The civil wedding of Hans and Lotte Hass was held on 29 November 1950 in Küsnacht
on Lake Zurich
. The church wedding took place in February 1963 in St. Augustin Church in Vienna.
In the 1950s, Lotte took part in two "Xarifa" expeditions of Hans Hass. After the birth of their daughter, Meta in 1958, Lotte Hass moved back from public life and devoted himself mainly household and education. They rarely returned before the camera. In 1976 she played a supporting role in Episode 29 of ";;The Man from Portofino" the famous detective series "Derrick".
Lotte Hass has written sports history. It broke into a male-dominated and fought against this resistance, shattering stereotypes and criticism. Regardless, it is gone her way, he has paved for others and made the sport diving popular for women.
Brigittenau
Brigittenau is the 20th District of Vienna . It is located north of the central districts, north of Leopoldstadt on the same island area between the Danube and the Danube Canal...
district of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) is the second wife of the Austrian naturalist and diving pioneer Hans Hass
Hans Hass
Hans Hass is a diving pioneer known mainly for his documentaries about sharks, the energon theory, and his commitment, later in life, to the protection of the environment. He was born in Vienna, Austria.-Early years:...
and worked as an underwater model and actress in several of his films. She was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame and the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame
International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame
The International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame is a web site that recognizes those who have contributed to the success and growth of recreational SCUBA diving in dive travel, entertainment, art, equipment design and development, education, exploration and adventure.This is not just a website but an...
in 2000.
Life and work
When Hans Hass in the summer of 1947 was looking for a secretary for his office in Vienna, Lotte Baierl successfully applied for the position. She had just passed her high school exam and was a big fan of Hans Hass. Lotte got to work next to their office to deal with diving equipment and underwater cameras, because they hoped to be allowed to attend Hass's next expedition. They trained in swimming pools, dived and photographed in the lakes around Vienna, supported and trained by Hass's assistant Kurt Schaefer.Hans Hass was generally opposed to the participation of a woman on his expeditions. The participation of Lotte was finally possible, as the film company Sascha Wiener insisted that Hass's next documentary would be made more attractive to a wider audience by a pretty female lead. They chose Lotte Baierl. The multi-month expedition to the Red Sea in 1950 was very difficult, but successful. Hass was the first person to film manta
Manta
Manta is a mid-sized city in Manabí Province, Ecuador. It is the second most populous city in the province, the fifth most populous in the country and, economically, the third most important city of Ecuador. Manta has existed since Pre-Columbian times. It was a trading post for the Mantas....
s and whale shark
Whale shark
The whale shark, Rhincodon typus, is a slow-moving filter feeding shark, the largest extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of and a weight of more than , but unconfirmed claims report considerably larger whale sharks...
s. Lotte was active there as an underwater photographer and underwater model. To the delight of the audience she wore in the film always very low swimwear fabric decorations. In 1970 she published her experiences during the expedition to the Red Sea in her book "A girl on the ocean floor".
Lotte Hass proved before the camera as a natural talent. The press were eager for interviews and photos of the sympathetic natural girl with long blond hair that was not afraid of threats and efforts under water. Soon she was seen on the front pages of leading international magazines and pages of reports. She received film offers from Hollywood, but she refused them all because sie did not want to be a full-time actress. Virtually Lotte also arrived in the United States, joined their participation in the expedition to the Red Sea in Germany and Austria, but also was criticized, because they doubted the scientific seriousness of Hans Hass. The "Hessian messages" described the expedition to the Red Sea because of Lotte's participation as a "pin-up expedition". Other Lotte Baierl mockingly titled "Lotte Haierl". As late as 1959 sneered the German news magazine "Der Spiegel" in a television criticism: "No cave without Lotte". They did not understand what a balancing act Hass had to make for the commercialization of his films: they were produced in the form of documentaries, but as a feature film reworked and presented to the audience. This combination worked surprisingly well: the film "Adventures in the Red Sea" was awarded in 1951 at the Biennale in Venice with the International Prize for feature-length documentaries.
In early November 1950, on the return flight from Port Sudan
Port Sudan
Port Sudan is the capital of Red Sea State, Sudan; it has 489,725 residents . Located on the Red Sea, it is the Republic of Sudan's main port city.-History:...
to Vienna, Hans Hass and Lotte Baierl became engaged. Hass's marriage with his first wife, actress Hannelore Schroth
Hannelore Schroth
Hannelore Schroth was German film, stage and television actress whose career spanned over five decades.-Career:...
, was divorced in April 1950. The civil wedding of Hans and Lotte Hass was held on 29 November 1950 in Küsnacht
Küsnacht
Küsnacht is a municipality in the district of Meilen in the canton of Zurich in Switzerland.-History:Küsnacht is first mentioned in 1188 as de Cussenacho....
on Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich
Lake Zurich is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. It is also known as Lake Zürich and Lake of Zürich. It lies approximately at co-ordinates ....
. The church wedding took place in February 1963 in St. Augustin Church in Vienna.
In the 1950s, Lotte took part in two "Xarifa" expeditions of Hans Hass. After the birth of their daughter, Meta in 1958, Lotte Hass moved back from public life and devoted himself mainly household and education. They rarely returned before the camera. In 1976 she played a supporting role in Episode 29 of ";;The Man from Portofino" the famous detective series "Derrick".
Lotte Hass has written sports history. It broke into a male-dominated and fought against this resistance, shattering stereotypes and criticism. Regardless, it is gone her way, he has paved for others and made the sport diving popular for women.