Ruth Leuwerik (; 23 April 1924 – 12 January 2016) was a German film actress, one of the most popular stars of German film during the 1950s. She appeared in 34 films between 1950 and 1977. Leuwerik is probably best known for her portrayal of

Maria von Trapp Baroness Maria Augusta von Trapp DHS (; 26 January 1905 – 28 March 1987) was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers. She wrote ''The Story of the Trapp Family Singers'', which was published in 1949 and was the inspiratio ...

in the films ''

The Trapp Family ''The Trapp Family'' (german: Die Trapp-Familie, links=no) is a 1956 West German comedy drama film about the real-life Austrian musical family of that name directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hans Holt, and Maria Holst. ...

'' and '' The Trapp Family in America''. Ruth Leuwerik - Boulevard der Stars

Born in

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Do ...

as Ruth Leeuwerik, she grew up there and in

Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state di ...

. She began her acting career with stage roles in the late 1940s. In the 1950s she and

Dieter Borsche Albert Eugen Rollomann (25 October 1909 – 5 August 1982), better known as Dieter Borsche, was a German actor. He appeared in more than 90 films between 1935 and 1981. Since 1944, he suffered from muscle atrophy and had to use a wheelchair ...

were considered as the ideal couple of the German film. In 1962 she starred in the

Helmut Käutner Helmut Käutner (25 March 1908 – 20 April 1980) was a German film director active mainly in the 1940s and 1950s. He entered the film industry at the end of the Weimar Republic and released his first films as a director in Nazi Germany. Käu ...

film ''

Redhead Red hair (also known as orange hair and ginger hair) is a hair color found in one to two percent of the human population, appearing with greater frequency (two to six percent) among people of Northern or Northwestern European ancestry and ...

'', which was entered in the

12th Berlin International Film Festival The 12th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 22 June – 3 July 1962. The Golden Bear was awarded to the British film '' A Kind of Loving'' directed by John Schlesinger. Jury The following people were announced as being on ...

. She is a five-time

Bambi Award The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and oth ...

winner. Leuwerik died in Munich on 12 January 2016.

Partial filmography

* ' (1950) – Evelyne Winterthur (her film debut) * ''

Father Needs a Wife ''Father Needs a Wife'' (german: Vater braucht eine Frau) is a 1952 West German comedy film directed by Harald Braun and starring Dieter Borsche, Ruth Leuwerik and Bruni Löbel. It was made at the Bavaria Studios in Munich and on location around ...

'' (1952) – Susanne Meissner * ''

The Great Temptation ''The Great Temptation'' (german: Die große Versuchung) is a 1952 West German drama film directed by Rolf Hansen and starring Dieter Borsche, Ruth Leuwerik and Renate Mannhardt.Hake p. 115 It was made at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The fi ...

'' (1952) – Hilde * ''

A Heart Plays False ''A Heart Plays False'' (german: Ein Herz spielt falsch) is a 1953 West German drama film directed by Rudolf Jugert and starring O.W. Fischer, Ruth Leuwerik and Carl Wery.Nelmes & Selbo It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film's s ...

'' (1953) – Sybilla Zander * '' Must We Get Divorced?'' (1953) – Garda von Doerr * ''

Beloved Life ''Beloved Life'' (german: Geliebtes Leben) is a 1953 West German drama film directed by Rolf Thiele and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Carl Raddatz and Albert Lieven. Following her husband's release from a prisoner of war camp in 1947, a woman remembers ...

'' (1953) – Louise von Bolin * ''

His Royal Highness Royal Highness is a style used to address or refer to some members of royal families, usually princes or princesses. Monarchs and their consorts are usually styled ''Majesty''. When used as a direct form of address, spoken or written, it t ...

'' (1953, after

Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...

's novel) – Imma Spoelman * '' Portrait of an Unknown Woman'' (1954) – Nicole * '' Ludwig II'' (1955) – Kaiserin Elisabeth von Österreich * ''

Beloved Enemy ''Beloved Enemy'' is a 1936 American drama film directed by H.C. Potter and starring Merle Oberon, Brian Aherne, and David Niven. It was loosely based on the life of Michael Collins. Plot During the Irish War of Independence in 1921, Irish ...

'' (1955) – Violante Gore * ' (1955, after

Theodor Fontane Theodor Fontane (; 30 December 1819 – 20 September 1898) was a German novelist and poet, regarded by many as the most important 19th-century German-language realist author. He published the first of his novels, for which he is best known to ...

's novel ''

Effi Briest ''Effi Briest'' is a realist novel by Theodor Fontane. Published in book form in 1895, ''Effi Briest'' marks both a watershed and a climax in the poetic realism of literature. It can be thematically compared to other novels on 19th century mar ...

'') – Effi Briest * ''

The Golden Bridge ''The Golden Bridge'' (german: Die goldene Brücke) is a 1956 West German drama film directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Curd Jürgens and Paul Hubschmid.Bock & Bergfelder p.282 It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The ...

'' (1956) – Tima * ''

'' (1956) – Baronin Maria von Trapp * '' Queen Louise'' (1957) – Königin Luise * '' Goodbye, Franziska'' (1957) – Franziska * ''Immer wenn der Tag beginnt'' (1957) – Dr. Hanna Burkhardt * ''

Taiga Taiga (; rus, тайга́, p=tɐjˈɡa; relates to Mongolic and Turkic languages), generally referred to in North America as a boreal forest or snow forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests consisting mostly of pines, sp ...

'' (1958) – Hanna Dietrich * '' The Trapp Family in America'' (1958) – Baronin Maria von Trapp * ''

Dorothea Angermann ''Dorothea Angermann'' is a 1959 West German drama film directed by Robert Siodmak and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Bert Sotlar and Alfred Schieske.Alpi p.357 It was adapted from the play by Gerhart Hauptmann. The film's sets were designed by the a ...

'' (1959) – Dorothea Angermann * '' The Ideal Woman'' (1959) – Fanny Becker * '' Sweetheart of the Gods'' (1960) – Renate Mueller * ''

A Woman for Life ''A Woman for Life'' (german: Eine Frau fürs ganze Leben) is a 1960 West German musical comedy film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Klausjürgen Wussow, and Harry Meyen.Bock & Bergfelder p. 284 The film's sets were ...

'' (1960) – Margarete Barnebusch * ''

You Don't Shoot at Angels ''You Don't Shoot at Angels'' (german: Auf Engel schießt man nicht) is a 1960 West German comedy crime film directed by Rolf Thiele and starring Ruth Leuwerik, Hannes Messemer and Gustav Knuth. The film's sets were designed by the art directors ...

'' (1960) – Maria * ''Die Stunde, die du glücklich bist'' (1961) – Vera * ''Der Traum von Lieschen Müller'' (1961) – Autograph hunter * ''

'' (1962) – Franziska Lukas * '' Eleven Years and One Day'' (1963) – Tina Rodenbach * '' The House in Montevideo'' (1963) – Marianne Nägler * '' An Alibi for Death'' (1963) – Dr. Maria Rohn * ''

Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen ''Und Jimmy ging zum Regenbogen'' (English: ''And Jimmy Went to the Rainbow's Foot'' ) is a movie by Alfred Vohrer based on the novel '' The Caesar Code'' by Johannes Mario Simmel. It was filmed in Vienna and Munich in autumn 1970 and released in ...

'' (1971) – Valerie Steinfeld * ' (1977) – Frau Gerda Cornelius * ''

Derrick A derrick is a lifting device composed at minimum of one guyed mast, as in a gin pole, which may be articulated over a load by adjusting its guys. Most derricks have at least two components, either a guyed mast or self-supporting tower, and ...

'' (1978, Episode: "Ein Hinterhalt") – Dr. Marta Schwenn * '' The Buddenbrooks'' (1979, TV miniseries, after Thomas Mann's novel) – Konsulin * ''

'' (1983, Episode: "") – Vera Baruda

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Leuwerik, Ruth 1924 births 2016 deaths Actors from Essen Best Actress German Film Award winners German film actresses German stage actresses People from the Rhine Province 20th-century German actresses