Opera Singer, Theatrical Folk Figure. A noted Viennese performer for many years, she is perhaps better remembered for her marriages to two legendary theatrical personages. Though little is recorded of her early years, she was born Marianne Josephine Zoff, apparently took to show business early, began appearing in stage plays, and, though some stated that her best asset was her legs, demonstrated sufficient vocal prowess that that she was able to get work in Vienna as well as at Wiesbaden and at Wagner's Bayreuth Festspielhaus, her roles including Wellgrunde in "Das Rheingold", Partien from "Tannhauser", and various of the Flower Maidens in "Parsifal" and the Valkyries from "Die Walkure". Along the way, Marianne developed a 'reputation' and at some point in the late 1910s took-up with playwright Bertolt Brecht whose concept of fidelity essentially mirrored her own. She had one miscarriage but in 1922 entered into a pregnancy-induced marriage with Brecht and had a baby named Hanne. The union was in trouble before it even started, though it lasted on paper until 1927 when the again pregnant Marianne obtained a divorce in order to wed actor Theo Lingen in what proved to be a much better match. A popular part of Lingen's shows, she relocated with him to Vienna in the late 1930s as Berlin became untenable for Jews; indeed, things would have gone badly for her and her two daughters even in Austria except for the fact that her husband was a favorite of both Hitler and Dr. Goebbels. Marianne tied her career to that of Lingen for a number of years, gradually retired, lived out her days in Vienna, and died of the infirmities of advanced age. Both of her daughters grew to be actresses of note.
Opera Singer, Theatrical Folk Figure. A noted Viennese performer for many years, she is perhaps better remembered for her marriages to two legendary theatrical personages. Though little is recorded of her early years, she was born Marianne Josephine Zoff, apparently took to show business early, began appearing in stage plays, and, though some stated that her best asset was her legs, demonstrated sufficient vocal prowess that that she was able to get work in Vienna as well as at Wiesbaden and at Wagner's Bayreuth Festspielhaus, her roles including Wellgrunde in "Das Rheingold", Partien from "Tannhauser", and various of the Flower Maidens in "Parsifal" and the Valkyries from "Die Walkure". Along the way, Marianne developed a 'reputation' and at some point in the late 1910s took-up with playwright Bertolt Brecht whose concept of fidelity essentially mirrored her own. She had one miscarriage but in 1922 entered into a pregnancy-induced marriage with Brecht and had a baby named Hanne. The union was in trouble before it even started, though it lasted on paper until 1927 when the again pregnant Marianne obtained a divorce in order to wed actor Theo Lingen in what proved to be a much better match. A popular part of Lingen's shows, she relocated with him to Vienna in the late 1930s as Berlin became untenable for Jews; indeed, things would have gone badly for her and her two daughters even in Austria except for the fact that her husband was a favorite of both Hitler and Dr. Goebbels. Marianne tied her career to that of Lingen for a number of years, gradually retired, lived out her days in Vienna, and died of the infirmities of advanced age. Both of her daughters grew to be actresses of note.
Bio by: Bob Hufford
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