Trivia

She emigrated together with her husband and two children to Amsterdam in 1938, but the whole family was deported to concentration camp Westerbork in 1943. Only the perjury of her mother, the actress Lotte Spira, that the Jewish actor Fritz Spira wasn't her father helped her to get free again.

She survived the bad time of World War II and in 1947 she was able to return to Berlin again where she could carry on her theater career.

Her promising career was abruptly stopped by the National Socialists. As a Half-Jewess she wasn't allowed to play on German stages, only entrances on the stage of the Jewish culture federation were permitted.

Sister of actress Steffie Spira

Daughter of Lotte Spira and Fritz Spira.

Her father was murdered in an German Concentration Camp; she was also in a Concentration Camp for a while.

Mother of Susanne Thaler.

German leading actress, trained at the drama school of the Deutsche Theater in Berlin. On stage from 1922, thereafter regularly performed in Berlin and Vienna. Film debut in 1924 in clean-cut roles. Discriminated against because of her Jewish ancestry during the Third Reich and denied acting opportunities. Emigrated to the Netherlands and narrowly escaped subsequent deportation to Auschwitz. Returned to German theatre in 1947 and also appeared in key post-war films for the East German company Defa, often in maternal roles. Kept busy with TV guest roles until the mid-1970's.

After World War II the film knocked on the door of the experienced actress. In the following 20 years she played in countless productions.

The trademark of Camilla Spira was her warm laugh which she kept till old age, and because of her cheerful temperament she was able to ride out the worst years in German history.

The actress Camilla Spira attended the Max-Reinhardt acting school at the age of 13 and she got her first engagement at the Wallner-Theater. After that she went to Vienna where she played for he "Theater in der Josefstadt". After this short excursion she returned to Berlin where she had success with a dancing and singing role in the play "Annemarie".

The film-business became more and more important for her career at the beginning of the 30s.

In 1930 she managed her great breakthrough with the play "Im weissen Rössl" and was celebrated by the audience.

She made her film debut in 1924 when she appeared in the movie "Mutter und Sohn" (1924).