Harry Meyen

 Harry Meyen

Harry Meyen was born Harald Haubenstock on August 31, 1924 in Hamburg, Germany.

He was a German Film Actor that appeared in more than 40 Films and Television Shows between 1948 and 1975.

Harry was the Son of a Protestant Mother, Hedwig Timm and a Jewish Father, Bernard Haubenstock.

His Parents separated in 1931.

Had his Parents stayed married the Nazis would have saved Harry and his Father from being deported to a Concentration Camp.

His Father moved to Karwin, Czechoslovakia (Present Day: Karviná, the Czech Republic) and was sent to a Concentration Camp after the Germans invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia.

Harry lived with his Mother in Hamburg.

In 1942, 18-year-old Harry was incarcerated as a Mischling (meaning Half-Breed or Half-Jewish) in the Neuengamme Concentration Camp.

Neuengamme held 100,000 Prisoners from 1938-1945 with 42,900 murdered at the Camp.

Harry was liberated by the Americans on May 3, 1945.

He was 20 years old.

Harry’s Father also survived the Holocaust, moved to Israel and died in 1968.

After the War, Harry began his Career with Willy Maertens at the Hamburg Thalia Theater.

 From 1952 he performed at the Theater Aachen and from 1955 moved to West Berlin.

Also starring in Films directed by Helmut Käutner, Falk Harnack and Wolfgang Staudte, he played the role of a young Luftwaffe Officer in the 1955 movie “Des Teufels General” side by side with Curd Jürgens.

He also worked as a Dubbing Actor giving his voice to Dirk Bogarde, Robert Mitchum, Michel Piccoli, Peter Sellers, and Jean-Louis Trintignant.

He is best known for his role in the 1966 Film “Is Paris Burning?” where he played Lieutenant von Arnim (the Assistant to General der Infanterie Dietrich von Choltitz, the German Military Governor of Paris.)

From 1953 to 1966 he was married to Actress Anneliese Römer.

 In July 1966 he married Romy Schneider in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

Their Son David Christopher was born December 3, 1966; the Family lived in Berlin and later in Hamburg.

 The couple finally divorced in 1975, and Schneider took their Son with her to France.

Harry suffered from Depression, his condition caused by the torture he had received from the Nazis for being Half-Jewish in the Concertation Camp during the War.

On April 15, 1979 (Easter Sunday) Harry Meyen hanged himself at home in Hamburg.

He is buried in the Ohlsdorf Cemetery.

His Son David died in an accident in 1981 and his Ex-Wife Romy Schneider died of a Heart Attack in 1982.