Heinz Hilpert

Vocation

Notable

German actor, screenwriter and film director. Hilpert was one of the leading directors in Weimar Germany, He began his career as an actor in 1919 but soon switched to directing, making his debut in 1922 at the Berlin Volksbühne. After a period in the provinces he joined Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater, where he was appointed head director. A specialist in social drama, his breakthrough came in 1928 with Ferdinand Bruckner's Die Verbrecher (The Criminals). He also directed the première of Horváth's Tales from the Vienna Woods (1931) and many plays by Gerhart Hauptmann. After a short period as director of the Volksbühne (1932–4), he took over Reinhardt's theatres in Berlin and Vienna when Reinhardt was forced into exile. After the war Hilpert became director of the Deutsches Theater in Göttingen from 1950 to 1966, establishing it as a major venue. His directing was noted for attention to psychological detail. Often seen as a pupil of Reinhardt, he thought of himself more in the tradition of Otto Brahm. He died 25 November 1967 in Göttingen. Link to German Wikipedia