Hermann Braun

Hermann Braun (November 1, 1917^[1] – January 18 or 20, 1945) was an American-born German motion-picture actor, and the son of chamber singer Carl Braun.

Biography

New York City-born, Braun made his film debut in 1933 with Der Jäger aus Kurpfalz. Braun was initially slated for the role of “Heini Völker” in Hitlerjunge Quex. However, illness, prevented his from doing so. The part was played by Jürgen Ohlsen. He was Pola Negri's leading man in her Third Reich film Die Fromme Lüge (1938), where he plays a young man in her life who we are led to believe is her young lover but turns out to be her son. Braun also played in the Emil Jannings picture Traumulus (1936) and in the Veit Harlan-directed Jugend (1938). His final film was Kleine Mädchen - große Sorgen (1941), opposite actress Hannelore Schroth.

Unlike his father who was an early sympathizer with the Nazis and a member of the anti-Semitic Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur,^[2] Hermann Braun held an anti-Nazi stance and retired from (or was forced out of) the Nazi-controlled motion picture industry. Drafted into the German military, he saw action on the Russian front during World War II. Most sources state that he was killed in heavy fighting on January 18, 1945 near Łódź, Poland. However, the German War Graves Commission memorial for Braun states that he rose to the rank of Lieutenant and died on January 20, 1945. Perhaps he was wounded on January 18 and died two days later. He is buried at Lodz.^[3] Braun was 27 years old.

Braun descended from an artistic family. His father was a famous opera singer, his mother Gertrude Botz was a stage actress at the Lübeck Theater, and his sister Anne-Mary Braun was also an actress.

Filmography

• Hitlerjunge Quex (1933; 95 mins), directed by Hans Steinhoff.^[4] Unable to perform role due to illness.^[5]
• Der Jäger aus Kurpfalz (1933; 82 mins.) Directed by Carl Behr. Braun played the role of Jupp, Försterjunge.^[6][7]
• Ferien vom Ich (1934) Directed by Hans Deppe. Braun played a supporting role.^[8]
• Achte mir auf Gakeki (1935; "short") Directed by Alwin Elling. Braun played an unnamed supporting role.^[9][10]
• Punks Kommt aus Amerika (1935; 90 mins.) Directed by Karlheinz Martin. Braun played "Caddy im Golfclub." (Title translation: "Punks Arrive from America.")^[11][12]
• Traumulus (1936; 100 mins.) Directed by Carl Froelich. Braun played a supporting role as an unnamed man. (Title translation: "The Dreamer")^[13][14]
• Ritt in die Freiheit (1937; 92 mins.) Directed by Karl Hartl. Braun played the role of a Polish Fähnrich (ensign) named Milewski. (Title translation: "Ride to Freedom."^[15][16]
• Jugend (1938; 93 mins.) Directed by Veit Harlan. Braun played the role of Hans. (Title translation: "Youth.")^[17]
• Die Fromme Lüge (1938; 80 mins) Directed by Nunzio Malasomma. Braun played the role of Cecil Lasko. (Title translation: "The White Lie" or "The Pious Lie")^[18][19]
• Was tun, Sybille? (1938; 86 mins.) Directed by Peter Paul Brauer. Braun played the role of a schoolboy named Primanier Peter Kurre. (Title translation: "What to Do Sybil?")^[20][21]
• D III 88 (1939) Co-directed by Hans Bertram and Herbert Maisch. Braun played the role of Obergefreiter (Corporal) Robert Eckhard.^[22][23]
• Der Fuchs von Glenarvon (1940; 91 mins.) Directed by Max W. Kimmich. Braun played the role of Desmond O'Morrow. (Title translation: "The Fox of Glenarvon.")^[24][25]
• Verwandte sind auch Menschen (1940; 79 mins.) Directed by Hans Deppe. Braun played the role of Kurt Thiele. (Title translation: "Relatives Are People Too.")^[26][27]
• Kleine Mädchen-große Sorgen (1941; 79 mins.) Directed by Boleslaw Barlog. Braun played the role of Hannes Fürst (Prince). (Title translation: "Little Girl—Very Worried.") ^[28][29]
• Kampfgeschwader Lützow (1941; 97 mins.) Directed by Hans Bertram. Braun played the role of Unteroffizier (Sergeant) Eckhard. (Title translation: "Battle Squadron Lützow.")^[30][31]

References

1. Hermann Braun (11.1.1917-1.20.1945) Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. (German War Graves Commission) record
2. Ernst Klee. Das Kulturlexikon zum Dritten Reich. Wer war was vor und nach 1945. S. Fischer, Frankfurt am Main 2007, pp. 73–74.
3. Hermann Braun (11.1.1917-1.20.1945) Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge e.V. (German War Graves Commission) record
4. The Ministry of Illusion: Nazi Cinema and Its Afterlife by Eric Rentschler. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1996, pp. 246-288
5. Our Flag Leads Us Forward at the Internet Movie Database
6. "Der Jäger aus Kurpfalz -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
7. Der Jäger aus Kurpfalz at the Internet Movie Database
8. Ferien vom Ich at the Internet Movie Database
9. "Achte mir auf Gakeki -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
10. Achte mir auf Gakkei at the Internet Movie Database
11. "Punks Kommt aus Amerika -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
12. Punks Kommt aus Amerika at the Internet Movie Database
13. "Traumulus -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
14. Traumulus at the Internet Movie Database
15. "Ritt in die Freiheit -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
16. Ritt in die Freiheit at the Internet Movie Database
17. Der Jugend at the Internet Movie Database
18. "Die Fromme Lüge -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
19. Die Fromme Lüge at the Internet Movie Database
20. "Was tun, Sybil? -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
21. Was tun, Sybille? at the Internet Movie Database
22. ""D III 88: The New German Air Force Attacks" -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
23. D III 88: The New German Air Force Attacks at the Internet Movie Database
24. "Der Fuchs von Glenarvon -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
25. The Fox of Glenarvon at the Internet Movie Database
26. "Verwandte sind auch Menschen -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
27. Verwandte sind auch Mensch at the Internet Movie Database
28. "Kleine Mädchen-große Sorgen -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
29. Kleine Mädchen-große Sorgen at the Internet Movie Database
30. "Kampfgeschwader Lützow -" (in German). filmportal.de. Retrieved 17 September 2012.
31. Battle Squadron Lützow at the Internet Movie Database

Bibliography

• Schlamp, Hans-Joacham. “Jugend, die den Film erobert 1. Folge-Hermann Braun.” Reihe der Filmschriften (Germany), Vol. (Heft) 6, No. 1 (1934), pp. (Folgen) 20-24.
• Weniger, Kay. Zwischen Bühne und Baracke. Lexikon der verfolgten Theater-, Film- und Musikkünstler 1933 bis 1945. Metropol, Berlin 2008, ISBN 978-3-938690-10-9, S. 429 f.

External links

• Hermann Braun at the Internet Movie Database
• Hermann Braun (1918-1945) at the German Film website Cyranos.ch
• Hermann Braun at Filmportal.de
• Hermann Braun (German)
• Photographs of Hermann Braun

External links—Complete Films with Hermann Braun

• Traumulus (1935) YouTube video. (1:31:17)
• Ritt in die Freiheit (1937) YouTube video. (1:26:13)
• Jugend (1938) YouTube video. (1:27:10)
• D III 88 (1939) YouTube video. (1:44:28)
• Kampfgeschwader Lützow (1941) YouTube video. (1:38:52)