Wilhelm Marckwald

Wilhelm Marckwald was a German actor and director in both theatre and film. He went to Spain in 1933, fleeing to Stockholm as the political situation heated up. Accused of being a communist, he and his wife were forced to leave Sweden for France. As World War II broke out, they made their way to England.

Biographical details

Marckwald was born to a family related to the wife of painter Max Liebermann, Martha, née Marckwald.

Marckwald first worked as a businessman, then became a musician and played in a café. He then became an actor and then began directing. In 1929 and 1930, he worked with actor P. Walter Jacob at the Stadttheater Koblenz and was a senior producer at the Deutsches Theater in Berlin. He left Germany in 1933, then went to Spain, where he became known as Guillermo Marckwald, and began directing films in Barcelona. He was married to a Spanish actress, Pilar, and in 1936, they fled Francisco Franco and his troops. They went to Stockholm, but Marckwald was accused of being a communist and they were expelled to France. As war broke out, they fled to England.