Artur Semyonovich Berger (, ; 27 May 1892 – 11 January 1981) was an

Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

film architect and

set designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...

. He was active in Austria between 1920 and 1936, during which time he worked on about 30 feature films. In 1936 Arthur Berger emigrated to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

, where he continued to work on films until the early 1970s.

Biography

Born Arthur Berger in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

in 1892 to

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

parents (Simon Berger, a civil servant, and his wife Pauline,

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Beran), Berger was educated at the ''Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt'' and between 1911 and 1915 the '' Hochschule für angewandte Kunst in Wien'', where he was trained in architecture by the highly respected

Jugendstil (; "Youth Style") was an artistic movement, particularly in the decorative arts, that was influential primarily in Germany, Austria and elsewhere in Europe to a lesser extent from about 1895 until about 1910. It was the German and Austrian cou ...

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Josef Hoffmann Josef Hoffmann (15 December 1870 – 7 May 1956) was an Austrians, Austrian-Sudeten Germans, Moravian architect and designer. He was among the founders of Vienna Secession and co-establisher of the Wiener Werkstätte. His most famous architect ...

and Oskar Strnad. At first Berger worked with his brother Josef Berger and with Martin Ziegler on the residential building programme of

Red Vienna Red Vienna (German language, German: ''Rotes Wien'') was the colloquial name for the Vienna, capital of Austria between 1918 and 1934, during which the Social Democratic Party of Austria, Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria (SDAP) mainta ...

, but in 1920 he changed over to working for

Sascha-Film Sascha-Film, in full Sascha-Filmindustrie AG and from 1933 Tobis-Sascha-Filmindustrie AG, was the largest Austrian film production company of the silent film and early sound film period. History The business was established in 1910 by Alexander ...

as an architect for scenery and film structures. For the directors

Michael Curtiz Michael Curtiz (; born Manó Kaminer; from 1905 Mihály Kertész; ; December 24, 1886 April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history. He directed classic films from the silen ...

and

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

he collaborated on the sets for their

epic film Epic films have large scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The term is slightly ambiguous, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply big-budget films. Like epics in the classical literary sense, it is often focused on a her ...

s ''Prinz und Bettelknabe'' (1920), '' Der junge Medardus'' (1923), '' Harun al Raschid'' (1924), ''

Die Sklavenkönigin ''The Moon of Israel'' (, or "The Queen of the Slaves") is a 1924 Austrian epic film. It was directed by Mihaly Kertész (later Michael Curtiz). The script was written by Ladislaus Vajda, based on H. Rider Haggard's 1918 novel '' Moon of Israe ...

'' (1924) and ''Salammbô'' (1924). He often worked with

Emil Stepanek Emil Stepanek (21 February 1895 – 12 April 1945) was an Austrian set designer and film architect. Biography Stepanek was born in Vienna, the son of a carpenter, and received a training in stage set construction, in which he worked for severa ...

and

Julius von Borsody Julius von Borsody (8 April 1892 in Vienna – 18 January 1960, also in Vienna) was an Austrian film architect and one of the most employed set designers in the Austrian and German cinemas of the late silent and early sound film periods. His youn ...

. From the mid-1920s however he was involved almost entirely with undistinguished melodramas and light entertainment films. In 1926 he was responsible for the sets on ''

Die Pratermizzi Die Pratermizzi (literally, "Mizzi of the Prater") is an Austrian silent drama film directed by Gustav Ucicky in 1926, released in January 1927, and starring Anny Ondra, Igo Sym and Nita Naldi. The film was long believed lost until its redisco ...

'', and in 1927 for the scenery and buildings of the enormously successful ''

Café Elektric ''Café Elektric'' (1927) is an Austrian film directed by Gustav Ucicky. Plot Erni ( Marlene Dietrich), the daughter of a wealthy industrialist Göttlinger (Fritz Alberti) falls for a pickpocket Fredl ( Willi Forst), but Fredl prefers Hansi ...

'' directed by

Gustav Ucicky Gustav Ucicky (6 July 1899 – 27 April 1961) was an Austrians, Austrian film director, screenwriter, and cinematographer. He was one of the more successful directors in Austria and Germany from the 1930s through to the early 1960s. His work cov ...

. In 1931 he and

Siegfried Bernfeld Siegfried Bernfeld (; May 7, 1892, Lemberg,Horacio Etchegoyen, Etchegoyen, R. Horacio. "Siegfried Bernfeld." ''International Dictionary of Psychoanalysis''. Ed. Alain de Mijolla. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. Retrieved via ''Biography ...

collaborated on the screenplay for '' Die große Liebe'', the first film directed by

Otto Preminger Otto Ludwig Preminger ( ; ; 5 December 1905 – 23 April 1986) was an Austrian Americans, Austrian-American film and theatre director, film producer, and actor. He directed more than 35 feature films in a five-decade career after leaving the the ...

. In 1932, Berger created the sets for ''Die vom 17er Haus'', an election advertising film on behalf of the

Social Democrats Social democracy is a social, economic, and political philosophy within socialism that supports political and economic democracy and a gradualist, reformist, and democratic approach toward achieving social equality. In modern practice, s ...

in the

Landtag A ''Landtag'' (State Diet) is generally the legislative assembly or parliament of a federated state or other subnational self-governing entity in German-speaking nations. It is usually a unicameral assembly exercising legislative competence ...

election, which was made using the Selenophon sound process. The film is set in the year 2032, in which numerous skyscrapers in glass cladding surround the

Stephansdom St. Stephen's Cathedral ( ) is a Roman Catholic church in Vienna, Austria, and the mother church of the Archdiocese of Vienna. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Vienna, Christoph Schönborn. The current Romanesque and Gothic form of the ca ...

. To avoid this vision of a city not worth living in, the Viennese are urged to act according to the election slogan at the end of the film: ''"Seid gescheit! Das rote Wien siegt! Wählt sozialdemokratisch!"'' ("Be clever! Red Vienna is the winner! Vote Social Democrat!"). Along with Rossak's ''Mr. Pims Europareise'' this was one of the only two Social Democrat promotional films made by the agency Kiba (Kinobetriebsagentur), and also the last before the party was banned by the Austrian Fascist government. In 1933, Berger was co-founder of the ''Lehrinstitut für Tonfilmkunst'' ("Teaching Institute of Sound Film") in Vienna, where he also taught. He was also a member of the ''Österreichischer Werkbund'' ("Austrian Labour Union") and of the ''Bund österreichischer Künstler'' otherwise known as the ''Kunstschau/Sonderbund deutschösterreichischer Künstler'' ("Union of Austrian Artists"). In 1936, when under economic and political pressure from

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

the German prohibition against Jews and persons of Jewish descent working in the film industry was also adopted in Austria, Berger immigrated, via

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, to

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, where he continued his career with

Mosfilm Mosfilm (, ''Mosfil’m'' , initialism and portmanteau of Moscow Films) is a film studio in Moscow which is among the largest and oldest in the Russian Federation and in Europe. Founded in 1924 in the USSR as a production unit of that nation's fi ...

as Artur Semyonovich Berger into the 1970s. He died in Moscow in 1981. Berger had two sons, Peter (died 2001) and Sascha (living in Moscow) who both worked as architects, in Austria and Russia (Moscow), and also two daughters, Marianne, (died 2009) and Vera, (died in October 2020 at age 102) in Wörgl, Tirol, Austria.

Filmography

* ''

Prinz und Bettelknabe ''The Prince and the Pauper'' (German: ''Prinz und Bettelknabe'') is a 1920 Austrian silent adventure film directed by Alexander Korda and starring Tibor Lubinszky, Albert Schreiber, and Adolf Weisse. It is based on Mark Twain's 1881 novel '' ...

'' (Austria 1920, dir:

Alexander Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; ; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

; film architecture with

) * '' The Dead Wedding Guest'' (1922) * '' Gypsy Love'' (1922) * '' The Marquis of Bolibar'' (Austria 1922,

Friedrich Porges Friedrich ( Frederick ) Porges (1890–1978) was an Austrian-American film director of the silent era, journalist, publisher, screenwriter, author and film critic. Of Jewish background, he fled Vienna just prior to the Anchluss, Anschluss of 193 ...

; with

) * '' Der junge Medardus'' (Austria 1923,

; with Julius von Borsody) * '' Nameless'' (1923) * '' Harun al Raschid'' (Austria 1924, Michael Curtiz; with Julius von Borsody) * ''

'' (Austria 1924, Michael Curtiz; with Emil Stepanek) * ''Salammbô'' (Austria/France 1924,

Pierre Marodon Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

; with Emil Stepanek) * ''

Das Spielzeug von Paris ''Das Spielzeug von Paris'' (English title ''Red Heels'') is an Austrian silent film released in 1925, and directed by Michael Curtiz. It was the first film to feature French actress Lili Damita in the leading role. Plot A young British Bohemi ...

'' (Austria/Germany/France 1925, Michael Curtiz) * ''

The Arsonists of Europe ''The Arsonists of Europe'' (German: ''Die Brandstifter Europas'') is a 1926 Austrian silent film, silent drama film directed by Max Neufeld and starring Charlotte Ander, Eugen Neufeld and Robert Valberg.Grange p.234 It was shot at the Sievering ...

'' (Austria 1926,

Max Neufeld Max Neufeld (13 February 1887 – 2 December 1967) was an Austrian film director, actor and screenwriter. He directed 70 films between 1919 and 1957. He directed the 1934 film ''The Song of the Sun'', which starred Vittorio De Sica. Selecte ...

) * ''

'' (Austria 1927,

Karl Leiter Karl Leiter (1890-1957) was an Austrian screenwriter and film director. Selected filmography * '' Queen Draga'' (1920) * '' Pratermizzi'' (1927) * '' Father Radetzky'' (1929) * ''The Missing Wife'' (1929) * '' Das Ferienkind'' (1943) * '' Ich bit ...

; with Emil Stepanek) * ''

'' (Austria 1927, Gustav Ucicky) * ''Tingel Tangel'' (Austria 1927, Gustav Ucicky) * ''Das Weib am Kreuze'' (Austria 1929,

Guido Brignone Guido Brignone (6 December 1886 – 6 March 1959) was an Italian film director and actor. He was the father of actress Lilla Brignone and younger brother of actress Mercedes Brignone. Brignone was born in Milan, Italy. He was the first Italian ...

) * ''Der Fall des Generalstabs-Oberst Redl'' (Germany/Czechoslovakia 1931,

Karl Anton Karl Anton or Karel Anton (25 October 1898 12 April 1979) was a Bohemian-born German film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Biography He was born in Prague on 25 October 1898. His father, Wilhelm Anton (1861–1918) was a physician. ...

; with Emil Stepanek) * '' Die große Liebe'' (Austria, 1931; screenplay with

) * '' Three on a Honeymoon'' (1932) * ''Lumpenkavaliere'' (Austria/Germany 1932,

Carl Boese Carl Eduard Hermann Boese (; 26 August 1887 – 6 July 1958) was a German film director, screenwriter, and film producer, producer. He directed 158 films between 1917 and 1957. Selected filmography * ''Farmer Borchardt'' (1917) * ''Donna Luci ...

; with Emil Stepanek) * ''Abenteuer am Lido'' (Austria 1933,

Richard Oswald Richard Oswald (5 November 1880 – 11 September 1963) was an Austrian film director, producer, screenwriter, and father of German-American film director Gerd Oswald. Early life and career Richard Oswald, born in Vienna as Richard W. Ornstein, ...

) * '' Grand Duchess Alexandra'' (1933) * '' Honeymoon Trip'' (1933) * ''Karneval und Liebe'' (Austria 1934,

Carl Lamac Carl may refer to: *Carl, Georgia, city in USA *Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community *Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name *Carl², a TV series * "Carl", List of Aqua Teen ...

) * ''Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten'' (Austria 1935,

Kurt Gerron Kurt Gerron (born Kurt Gerson; 11 May 1897 – 30 October 1944) was a German Jewish actor and film director. He had a very successful career in cabaret and film before World War II, but was then forbidden to work and was sent to Theresienstadt ...

) * '' Her Highness Dances the Waltz'' (1935) * ''Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben'' (Austria 1936, Richard Oswald) * ''Ошибка инженера Кочина (Oshibka inzheniera Kochina) / Engineer Kochin's Error'' (USSR 1939, Alexander Macheret) * ''Свинарка и пастух (Svinarka i pastukh) / The Swineherd-girl and the Shepherd'' (USSR 1941,

Ivan Pyryev Ivan Aleksandrovich Pyryev (; – 7 February 1968) was a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter, actor and pedagogue remembered as the high priest of Stalinism, Stalinist cinema. He was awarded six USSR State Prize, Stalin Prizes (194 ...

) * ''Жди меня (Zhdi menya) / Wait for Me'' (USSR 1943, Boris Ivanov,

Aleksandr Stolper Aleksandr Borisovich Stolper (; 12 August 1907, in Dvinsk (now Daugavpils) – 12 January 1979, in Moscow) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter. He directed 14 films between 1940 and 1977. Aleksandr Stolper was awarded the Stalin Prize in ...

) * ''Тайна вечной ночи (Tayna vechnoy nochi) / Mystery of the Eternal Night'' (USSR 1956,

Abram Room Abram Matveyevich Room (; real name Abram Mordkhelevich Rom, ; 28 June 1894, Vilnius, Vilna – 26 July 1976, Moscow) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter. Biography In 1914-1917 he studied at the Bekhterev Psychoneurological Institute, St. ...

, Dmitri Vassilyev) * ''Человек в штатском (Chelovek v shtatskom) / The Man in Civilian Clothing'' (USSR 1973, Vassili Zhuravlyov)

Awards

* 1968: Meritorious Artist of the

Russian SFSR The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (Russian SFSR or RSFSR), previously known as the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and the Russian Soviet Republic, and unofficially as Soviet Russia,Declaration of Rights of the labo ...

References

External links

*
Architektenlexikon Wien 1880-1945: Artur Berger
{{DEFAULTSORT:Berger, Artur 1892 births 1981 deaths Austrian architects Austrian Jews Austrian emigrants to the Soviet Union Austrian scenic designers Russian scenic designers Film people from Vienna Soviet architects Wiener Werkstätte Jews who emigrated to escape Nazism People granted political asylum in the Soviet Union Russian people of Austrian-Jewish descent Soviet Jews