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Katharina “Katja” Paryla was a renowned actress and director known for her work in Germany. In today’s article, we take a look into her life as we explore more about what led to her demise and how it all occurred.
Who Was Katja Paryla?
Katharina “Katja” Paryla was born in Zurich, Switzerland on January 25, 1940, and died on August 25, 2013, in Wölsickendorf, Märkisch-Oderland region.
Katja Paryla was the daughter of actor and director Emil Paryla (as Emil Stöhr) and his wife Selly Paryla. She was also the cousin of Nikolaus Paryla and Stephan Paryla-Raky, both actors. Following Austria’s annexation, her parents relocated to Zurich in 1938. However, the family relocated to Vienna in 1946.
Paryla struggled to find work in Austria after the New Theatre in the Scala was forced to close in 1956 due to the Brecht boycott. As a result, the family relocated to East Berlin the following year.
Paryla studied fashion design at the University of Fine and Applied Arts in Berlin-Weißensee, where she graduated with honours. Her actual interest, however, was acting, which led her to apply to the Berlin State Drama School, later renamed the “Ernst Busch” Berlin Academy of Dramatic Arts. She was a student at the school from 1961 to 1963.
In 1962, Paryla made her acting debut alongside her father at the Deutsches Theatre Berlin, playing Milena Andertschova. in Oldrich Danek’s play The Wedding of the Marriage Swindler.
She then joined the Volksbühne Berlin in 1963, directed by Wolfgang Heinz, and the Maxim Gorki Theatre in 1967, directed by Kurt Veth.
Paryla also had a number of cinema and television roles in the late 1960s. She achieved tremendous success as the author of two popular children’s series.
In Haunted Under the Ferris Wheel (1978), she played a ghost train figure that comes to life after a Spree cleanup operation and wreaks havoc as a wacky witch in Berlin and the Harz highlands. S
he played the undead thief Jette Deibelschmidt in Spuk im Hochhaus (1981/1982), who must accomplish seven good actions as a ghost in a Berlin high-rise building to find eternal rest in the grave.
Throughout her career, Paryla was a member of several theatre ensembles, including the Deutsches Theatre Berlin from 1978 to 1990, the Schillertheater Berlin, and the National Theatre Weimar.
In addition, from 2004/2005 to the end of the 2007/2008 season, she was the acting director of the Chemnitz Municipal Theatre. She began working at the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus in the 2008/2009 season.
Paryla was a member of the Academy of Arts as well. She was a resident of Wölsickendorf, near Bad Freienwalde (Oder). Paryla has two key partnerships throughout her life.
Her first marriage was to actor Kaspar Eichel, with whom she had a son, graphic artist and set designer Alexej Paryla. Her second marriage was to actor Iván Gallardo.
In 1973, Paryla was awarded the GDR Art Prize in appreciation of her ability and services to the arts. She left a memorable legacy of stage and screen performances, confirming her place as one of Germany’s most acclaimed actresses and directors.
Katja Paryla Cause Of Death
Katja Paryla’s cause of death is unknown as there is no information about what led to her demise.
