- Introspective leading actor, trained in Berlin 1912-14. On stage after military service in World War I. Had powerful socialist leanings. During the 1920's, member of the communist party (KPD). Founded and toured with his own worker's theatrical troupe. Forced to flee from Germany after Hitler's rise to power in 1933. Became a Soviet citizen in 1940 and made propaganda radio broadcasts on behalf of his adopted country. Returned to Germany in 1945, active primarily as a stage director and producer.
- A member of the Communist Party of Germany since 1921, von Wangenheim founded the Communist theatre company Die Truppe '31 in 1931. Die Truppe '31 produced three plays, authored and directed by Wangenheim, before it was shut down by order of the Nazi regime in 1933.
- In 1936, during the Stalinist purges, he denounced his colleagues Carola Neher and Anatol Becker as Trotskyites. Becker was executed and Neher died in the Gulag system after five years in prison. Von Wangenheim's son later stated the accusations that his father denounced Neher and Becker were one-sided and inaccurate. Gustav von Wangenheim's son claimed his father, after being arrested by the NKWD and a lengthy interrogation, signed a statement that implicated Carola Neher as being "anti soviet" but had in fact explicitly refuted the accusation that Neher and her husband Anatol Becker had planned to murder Stalin.
- After the end of war he returned from the Soviet Union to Germany in 1945.
- Footage of von Wangenheim's performance as Hutter in Nosferatu appears in the Queen video for "Under Pressure.".
- Son of actor Eduard von Winterstein.
- Wangenheim fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and found refuge in the Soviet Union. While living in exile at Moscow's Hotel Lux, he continued writing and producing movies, such as Der Kampf (1936), an anti-Nazi protest film, and was the head of the German language Cabaret "Kolonne Links".
- He was a founding member of the National Committee for a Free Germany. After World War II, he returned to East Germany, where he worked for the DEFA as screenwriter and director.
- In the 2000 film Shadow of the Vampire, which depicted the production of Nosferatu, Eddie Izzard portrayed von Wangenheim.
- His film work "Kämpfer" however ended tragically. Stalin let the movie forbid and many participants were arrested and partly executed. Gustav von Wangeheim was able to continue his career and he wrote among others "Die Friedensstörer".
- Gustav von Wangeheim realized few movies as a director after World War II for the DEFA.
- Gustav von Wangenheim was able to continue his artistic career in Germany and he took over the management of the Deutsches Theater Berlin for a brief time. Together with others he spoke for the arrested Gustaf Gründgens. Finally he was released from prison and he was able to continue his stage career as well.
- When the Soviet Union entered World War II in 1940 he served for the 7th Political Division where he also realized fliers.
- He took part again in numerous silent movies of the 20s, among them "Kohlhiesels Töchter" (20) with Henny Porten playing a double role, "Nosferatu" (1922) directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau, "Der steinerne Reiter" (1929) and Fritz Lang's "Frau im Mond" (1929).
- Growing up in the environment it was foreseeable that Gustav von Wangenheim would start an artistic career as well. Therefore he joined the acting school of Max Reinhardt. Afterwards he got first engagements at theaters in Vienna, Berlin and other cities.
- Father of Friedel von Wangenheim, Elisabeth & Eleonora von Wangenheim.
- Gustav von Wangenheim was married with the actress Inge von Wangenheim née Franke, from 1931 to 1954, when the marriage was annulled.
- In 1917 he wrote the play "Der Mann Fjodor" and finally he came in touch with the politic and he joined the USPD. Moreover he also founded the Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland (NFKD).
- He got the citizenship of the Soviet Union in 1940.
- The actor Gustav von Wangenheim was born as the son of the legendary actor Eduard von Winterstein and the actress Minna Mengers. After the suicide of his mother in 1899 his father Eduard von Winterstein got married again, this time with the actress Hedwig Pauly.
- He already made his film debut in 1914 with "Passionels Tagebuch".
- His last movie came in 1931 into being with "Danton" (1931), two years later he left Germany because he was against the National Socialism. As a member of the Communist party he reached the Soviet Union via Paris where he remained active as an artist. Among others he realised the movie "Bortsy" (1936) as a director and screenwriter.
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