New on dunera.de November 9, 2025

The actor Sigurd Lohde—a biography

The actor Sigurd Lohde, born in Weimar (Thuringia) in 1899, is a prime example of the many artists who were forced to flee their homes and abandon their careers due to racist persecution by the Nazis. After escaping to London, he was deported by the British to distant Australia on the Dunera in 1940.

Lohde, born in 1899, had performed at the Volksbühne in Berlin, among other places, and after the Nazis were brought to power, at theaters in Austria, Czechoslovakia, and London. Until the outbreak of war, he had appeared in numerous films in more or less prominent roles and had worked for radio.

After his internment in Australia, he initially served with the 8th Employment Company and appeared in their legendary 1943 theater production “Sgt. Snow White.” However, he was unable to gain a foothold professionally in Australia. He worked in various jobs and ran a milk bar in Sydney. Nevertheless, he landed a leading role in the 1949 film “Eureka Stockade.”

In 1954, he returned to Germany. He first found work at the Renaissance Theater in West Berlin. He performed on many stages, appeared in films and on television, was heard on the radio, and had several jobs in the dubbing industry. He found his childhood sweetheart Herta and married her. Sigurd Lohde died in West Berlin in 1977.

“I didn’t find gold. But I made it through life and found my way back to Berlin,” a newspaper quoted him saying this after his return to West Berlin.

Sigurd Lohde, ca. 1943. Caricature by Fritz Schönbach for an article about the 8th Employment Company in SALT, the Australian Army newspaper.

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