Otto Wallburg

Otto Wallburg (21 February 1889 – 29 October 1944) was a German actor and Kabarett performer. He was a prolific film actor during the late silent and early sound era. He was arrested by the Nazis when they occupied the Netherlands and was killed in Auschwitz in October 1944.

Wallburg was born Otto Maximilian Wasserzug in Berlin, the son of a Jewish banker. He drifted into stage acting, but served in the German Army during the First World War and was wounded on the Eastern Front after winning an Iron Cross. From 1926 onwards he worked in the large German film industry, including many productions made by UFA.

When the Nazis came to power in 1933 he left Germany and moved to Austria where he continued to work in film. He later moved to France and then on to the Netherlands. He was arrested following the 1940 German invasion of the Netherlands. He was held for a while at Westerbork transit camp, and later deported to Auschwitz where he was murdered towards the end of October 1944.

Selected filmography

Uneasy Money (1926) - Herr Fischer Chaste Susanne (1926) - Charency Derby (1926) - Emil Henschke, Fleischwaren en gros We'll Meet Again in the Heimat (1926) - Feldwebel Baumann Light-Hearted Isabel (1927) Heaven on Earth (1927) - Louis Martiny Grand Hotel (1927) The Transformation of Dr. Bessel (1927) - Ein französischer Sergeant The Mistress of the Governor (1927) - Der Zar My Friend Harry (1928) - Gen.Dir. Fredy Sanderson Love in the Cowshed (1928) - Wenzel, Seifenschneider Theatre (1928) - Tenas A Modern Casanova (1928) The Fourth from the Right (1929) The Woman Everyone Loves Is You (1929) - Haucke The Crimson Circle (1929) - Marl Foolish Happiness (1929) The Merry Widower (1929) - Ein Paradegast Column X (1929) Marriage in Trouble (1929) - Der Standesbeamte Foolishness of His Love (1929) - Bürgermeister Boudier His Best Friend (1929) Trust of Thieves (1929) - Kriminalkommissar Warren Men Without Work (1929) The Night Belongs to Us (1929) - Vater Bang The Widow's Ball (1930) - Teckelmann There Is a Woman Who Never Forgets You (1930) Heute nacht - eventuell (1930) - Lawyer Hocuspocus (1930) - Dr. Schüler The Song Is Ended (1930) - Der Baron The Jumping Jack (1930) - Clamotte, Direktor des Warenhauses Petit officier... Adieu! (1930) - Baron Hans in Every Street (1930) Her Majesty the Barmaid (1931) - Othmar von Wellingen - Freds Bruder Queen of the Night (1931) - Gaston Molneau Her Grace Commands (1931) Seitensprünge (1931) - Onkel Emil That's All That Matters (1931) - Klöppel - ein Maler When the Soldiers (1931) - General von Plessow The Opera Ball (1931) - von Arnolds - Helgas Vater Salto Mortale (1931) - Pressechef The Little Escapade (1931) - August Wernecke, Fabrikant The Woman They Talk About (1931) - G.Greven Bombs on Monte Carlo (1931) - Ministerpräsiden / Minister Who Takes Love Seriously? (1931) - Speculator Bruno Congress Dances (1931) - Bibikoff, his Adjutant Weekend in Paradise (1931) Alarm at Midnight (1931) - Karl Matthes (1931) Ronny (1931) - Intendant des Hoftheaters Yorck (1931) - Field Marshal Graf Diebitsch-Sabalkanskij Distorting at the Resort (1932) - Abeles Two Hearts Beat as One (1932) The Song of Night (1932) - Pategg The Beautiful Adventure (1932) - Valentin le Barroyer The Black Hussar (1932) - Gouverneur Darmont How Shall I Tell My Husband? (1932) - Hugo Brickner Spoiling the Game (1932) - Gottfried Paradies Frederica (1932) - Ewiger Student Wagner When Love Sets the Fashion (1932) - Philippe Gilbert Madame Wants No Children (1933) - Herr Balsam The Big Bluff (1933) - Otto Pitt, Generaldirektor Marion, That's Not Nice (1933) - Direktor Satorius - Seifenfabrikant What Women Dream (1933) - Kleinsilber Das häßliche Mädchen (1933) - Direktor Mönckeberg Daughter of the Regiment (1933) - Sergeant Bully The Little Crook (1933) - Der Bräutigam Greetings and Kisses, Veronika (1933) - Max Becker, ein Geschäftsfreund Tell Me Who You Are (1933) - Harry Reimers Ways to a Good Marriage (1933) - 'Tange Paula', Eheberatung Kind, ich freu' mich auf Dein Kommen (1933) - Der Konsul The Tsarevich (1933) - Graf Narkyn Inge and the Millions (1933) - Conrady, Geschäftsfreund Seemanns Financial Opportunists (1934) - Untermeier, Grundstücksspekulant Peter (1934) - Mr. Zöllner, garage-owner Bretter, die die Welt bedeuten (1934) - Direktor Petermann Ball at the Savoy (1935) - Der Verleger Haller Everything for the Company (1935) - Emmerich Liebling Little Mother (1935) - Max Berkhoff Viereinhalb Musketiere (1935) - Bender, pianist Heut' ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben (1935) - Paul Kaspar Catherine the Last (1936) - Sixtus Braun, Großindustrieller Bubi (1937) - Taxidriver Muck Crossroads (1938) - Le médecin allemand (uncredited) (final film role)