Viktor de Kowa

Member of the ensemble of the Vienna Burgtheater, 1956 to 1962.

He was an actor and director, known for Peter Voss, der Millionendieb (1946), Schneider Wibbel (1939) and Ich liebe dich (1938). He was married to Michiko Tanaka and Ursula Grabley.

From 1945 to 1950, he was manager of the Berliner Tribüne.

During the Third Reich he joined the Nazi Party, directing the propaganda movie Kopf hoch, Johannes! in 1941. The film idealized the education of the German youth in National Political Institutes of Education, which earned de Kowa an entry on the Gottbegnadeten list to evade his Wehrmacht conscription, though Minister Goebbels was disillusioned with his directing.

He made his film debut with "Katharina Knie" (1929). Some years later he became a decided darling of the female public of the 30's with his very individual play in lover roles.

German leading actor, singer, writer and director, educated the Art Academy in Dresden. Initially wanted to study theology, but instead learned acting under Erich Ponto. He made his theatrical debut in 1922, thereafter playing youthful bon vivants and romantic leads, as well as performing in classic plays by Shakespeare and Shaw. In films, usually in charming roles, graduating to character parts after the war. Gave arguably his best performance as SS-Gruppenführer Schmidt-Lausitz in The Devil's General (1955).

Viktor de Kowa was born on March 8, 1904 in Hochkirch/Löbau, Saxony, Germany as Viktor Paul Karl Kowarzik.