Angelika Meissner’s contribution to German cinema, especially as a child star, remains significant. Her performances captured the hearts of audiences and showcased her talent and charisma.
Although her acting career was cut short, her impact on the film industry will always be remembered.
Who Was Angelika Meissner?
Angelika Meissner, born on November 25, 1939, in Berlin, was a German film actress who gained fame as a child star in the 1950s.
Peter Voelkner, her father, was a composer, and Hildegard Voelkner, née Meissner, was the head of the advertising credits department at UFA.
Meissner’s film career began in 1949 with a role in the drama film “Night Watch,” in which she played Hans Nielsen’s daughter. She earned to notoriety in the popular Immenhof film series as Dick, with Heidi Brühl and Margarete Haagen. Her brilliance and charisma charmed spectators, and she became a well-known child star in German cinema.
In her second film, “The Falling Star,” Meissner portrayed Elisabeth Hollreiser, a ten-year-old child traumatised by postwar chaos.
In the same film, Maria Wimmer played the mature Elisabeth Hollreiser. She also starred in “Father Needs a Wife” in 1952, as the charming Ulla, who, together with her siblings, uses a newspaper advertisement to find a partner for her widower father.
Meissner’s acting career grew as she worked with notable actors such as Heinz Erhardt in his film “Widower with Five Daughters” and Raidar Müller-Elmau in “Hubertusjagd.”
However, following her appearance in the television play “Hundred Thousand Talers,” she abruptly quit her acting career. Meissner chose to live in secret, later working as an architect in Canada.
In her book “Dream Factories Made in Germany: The History of German Post-War Film 1945-1960,” Micaela Jary discusses Meissner’s personal struggle.
She says that Meissner’s mother became infatuated with the film industry and amassed considerable debts in anticipation of her daughter’s future profits. This rising strain proved too much for Meissner, and she left the acting business.
Angelika Meissner died in a Berlin care home on January 10, 2018, at the age of 78. She was laid to rest in Berlin-Wilmersdorf cemetery, field D2/125.
Throughout her career, Meissner has appeared in films such as Angelika Voelkner, Angelika Meissner-Voelkner, and finally Angelika Meissner. Following her parents’ divorce, Meissner and her brother adopted their mother’s surname.
Angelika Meissner Cause Of Death
Angelika Meissner’s actual cause of death is unknown as there is no information on what led to her demise.
