The Life of "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari"'s Conrad Veidt

It wasn’t until 1933 that the 40 year-old Conrad Veidt agreed to have his “life story” shared. The British newspaper, “Sunday Dispatch,” published four consecutive articles from October 14^th to November 4^th, 1933 recalling the private account told by Veidt to a personal friend. Veidt, ensuring complete accuracy, closely edited the article and was not paid for its publication. 

Veidt describes himself as a young boy: "I can see myself at school, a small anemic-looking boy, answering to the name of Conrad Veidt."

In the recollection of his life, Veidt begins, as many would, with his birth. He speaks of his parents; his father, Phillip, a devout Civil Servant to the Weimar Republic, his mother, Amalie, the perfect example of love and affection, spoken of sadly due to her untimely death. He remembers a kind, but famous, Berlin surgeon operating on his father for only 150 marks, and had been inspired to live his life healing the sick. However, he said, the years of study needed to pursue such a career seemed daunting. His wish to become an actor grew, yet remained secret, as a career on the stage was looked down upon in his middle-class society. He eventually told his mother, and she provided young Conrad money to attend the Reinhardt’s Deutsches Theatre every night. There he was introduced to the actor Albert Blumenreich who agreed to give him free acting lessons. He eventually landed a job as an extra at the theatre, which paid fifty marks a month.   

Veidt was drafted into the German Army in 1914, during WWI, but contracted jaundice and pneumonia and was invalid for over six months. During this time, the army allowed him to join the theatre and entertain the troops. He was discharged in 1916 and performed in Berlin’s Reinhardt Theatre first playing small parts, but grew to become one of their greatest stars. During this time, he fell in love with his first wife, the famous cabaret artist Augusta Holl. After one year of marriage, Veidt says, “somehow, and I can never quite understand or explain why, things began to go wrong.” His only explanation for this failed marriage was the devastating event of his mother’s death. He married again in 1923, had a daughter, Vera Viola Maria with his second wife in 1925. The three of them eventually moved to Hollywood, as Conrad’s career had taken off internatonally after his role as Cesare in “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari”. When “talkies” emerged on the Hollywood scene, Conrad felt uncomfortable with his German voice and decided to return to Berlin. His second marriage failed, again, without much explanation from Veidt. He blamed only himself, claiming he was like a “spoilt child” that was unable to make a woman truly happy. He often expresses how heartbreaking it was to not spend all of his time with his daughter. In 1932 he starred in his first English talkie, “Congress Dances,” and was put on the English map. Veidt then married for the third and final time in 1933 to Ilona “Lili” Prager. After expressing how perfect his life is with Lili, he ends the story, stating “I find that, having come to the end of my story, my life is just beginning.” 

Of course, we have a record of the rest of Conrad Veidt’s story. Prager was a Jewish woman, and sparked his opposition to the Nazi regime. The couple emigrated from Germany in 1933, a week after their marriage. Veidt went on to perfect his English, become a British citizen in 1938, and lead an incredibly successful acting career in Britain and, after 1940, Hollywood. 

Veidt as Cesare from "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920). It was said that his starkly angular face corresponded to, and strengthened, the abstract, jagged sets used throughout the film.

For more on Conrad Veidt:

“The Story of Conrad Veidt”, The Sunday Despatch, Oct 14--Nov 4, 1933, London, UK. 

More Articles on Conrad Veidt 

Veidt's Filmography 

-AH