About Iwa Wanja
Lived 1905 – 1991 (aged 85). Iwa Wanja was a Bulgarian and German actor, singer, screenwriter, film actor, equestrian and writer.
Iwa Wanja (born Ivanka Nikolova Yanakieva; 10 October 1905 – 26 June 1991) was a Bulgarian actress based in Germany. She moved to Berlin to pursue her career, appearing in around thirty German films. She was married to Norbert Schultze, German composer, best remembered for having written the melody of the World War II classic Lili Marleen.
Life and career In 1937, Wanja appeared in the Nazi propaganda film, Urlaub auf Ehrenwort (Holiday on Parole, also known as Furlough on Parole).
Sometime around 1943, she wed German film composer Norbert Arnold Wilhelm Richard Schultze. They had two sons together. During their marriage, she penned the libretti for several of his compositions for the stage.
Selected filmography Women of Luxury (1925) A Sister of Six (1926) The Woman's Crusade (1926) I Liked Kissing Women (1926) Weekend Magic (1927) The Long Intermission (1927) The Marriage Nest (1927) The Prince's Child (1927) Girls, Beware! (1928) The President (1928) The House Without Men (1928) Polish Economy (1928) Dear Homeland (1929) The Right of the Unborn (1929) From a Bachelor's Diary (1929) Josef the Chaste (1930) The Court Concert (1936) Captain Bay-Bay (1953) A Life for Do (1954)
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Important facts
Family & relationships
People in Iwa Wanja's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Iwa Wanja's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Iwa Wanja?
Bulgarian actress (1905–1991)
When was Iwa Wanja born?
Iwa Wanja was born on 10 October 1905 in Karnobat.
When did Iwa Wanja die?
Iwa Wanja died on 26 June 1991 in Berlin.
What was Iwa Wanja's occupation?
Iwa Wanja was an actor, singer, screenwriter, film actor, equestrian and writer.
What nationality was Iwa Wanja?
Iwa Wanja was Bulgarian and German.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Iwa Wanja. https://biography.guide/iwa-wanja/
MLA: "Iwa Wanja." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/iwa-wanja/.
Chicago: "Iwa Wanja." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/iwa-wanja/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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