Blonde German actor Heinz Ohlsen (1922-1999) appeared as a young man in a handful of German films of the early war years. Ten years later, he continued his career with a few more film roles.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. G 107, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. G 146, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
Heinz Ohlsen was born as Heinz Gustav Hans Oehlschlager in Berlin, Germany, in 1922. He was the son of the actors Fred Öhlschläger-Ohlsen and Margarethe Ruth Meurer. From 1934 to 1938, he performed as a child actor at theatres in Berlin, Guben and Frankfurt/Oder. After graduating from high school, he was engaged at the Schillertheater in Berlin from 1940 to 1943.
The handsome blonde boy started his film career in 1940 with bit parts in the comedies Zwei Welten / Two Worlds (Gustaf Gründgens, 1940) and Der Kleinstadtpoet / Poet of a Small Town (Josef von Báky, 1940) with Paul Kemp.
The following year, he played a young Irishman in the Nazi-made anti-British Propaganda film Mein Leben für Irland / My Life for Ireland (Max W. Kimmich, 1941), starring Anna Dammann and René Deltgen.
Set in an English boarding school, Mein Leben für Irland tells of the Irish revolt against British domination. The sons of Irish rebels are sent to an English school to become good British patriots, but they secretly await the day they can fight for their country’s independence against the British, who are depicted as treacherous oppressors bent on world hegemony.
Mein Leben für Irland was aimed largely at the Hitlerjugend market and was directed with assurance by Max Kimmich, who happened to be Joseph Goebbels's brother-in-law.
German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. A 3203/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Haenchen / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3456/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3562/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
That same year, Heinz Ohlsen played the son of Willy Fritsch in Leichte Muse / Easy Muse (Arthur Maria Rabenalt, 1941).
He appeared opposite another famous actor, Heinrich George, in the romantic drama Schicksal / Fate (Géza von Bolváry, 1942).
After this film, the film career of the still very young actor would be interrupted for nearly a decade. He served as a soldier in the Second World War. After the war, he acted at the Landestheater in Hanover from 1947 to 1948. From 1951 to 1953, he was again engaged at the Schillertheater in Berlin.
Ohlsen returned to the screen in the short Amor am Steuer / Love at the Wheel (Günther Hassert, 1950) with Sonja Masur. The following year, he played a supporting part in the crime film Grenzstation 58 / Boundary Station 58 (Harry Hasso, 1951) starring Hansi Knoteck and Mady Rahl. In 1952, he also appeared with Ewald Balser in the radio play 'Jasons letzte Nacht' (Jason's Last Night), directed by Hanns Korngiebel.
His last film role was a supporting part in the Heinz Rühmann comedy Der eiserne Gustav / The Iron Gustav (Georg Hurdalek, 1958). Based on a true event, the film shows a coachman taking a journey from Berlin to Paris in 1928. Heinz Ohlsen died in 1999. He was 76. Heinz Ohlsen was married several times and had several sons and daughters.
German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. A 3242/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3697/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
Sources: Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), International Historic Films, Wikipedia (German) and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 13 January 2026.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. G 107, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. G 146, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
The Hitlerjugend market
Heinz Ohlsen was born as Heinz Gustav Hans Oehlschlager in Berlin, Germany, in 1922. He was the son of the actors Fred Öhlschläger-Ohlsen and Margarethe Ruth Meurer. From 1934 to 1938, he performed as a child actor at theatres in Berlin, Guben and Frankfurt/Oder. After graduating from high school, he was engaged at the Schillertheater in Berlin from 1940 to 1943.
The handsome blonde boy started his film career in 1940 with bit parts in the comedies Zwei Welten / Two Worlds (Gustaf Gründgens, 1940) and Der Kleinstadtpoet / Poet of a Small Town (Josef von Báky, 1940) with Paul Kemp.
The following year, he played a young Irishman in the Nazi-made anti-British Propaganda film Mein Leben für Irland / My Life for Ireland (Max W. Kimmich, 1941), starring Anna Dammann and René Deltgen.
Set in an English boarding school, Mein Leben für Irland tells of the Irish revolt against British domination. The sons of Irish rebels are sent to an English school to become good British patriots, but they secretly await the day they can fight for their country’s independence against the British, who are depicted as treacherous oppressors bent on world hegemony.
Mein Leben für Irland was aimed largely at the Hitlerjugend market and was directed with assurance by Max Kimmich, who happened to be Joseph Goebbels's brother-in-law.
German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. A 3203/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Haenchen / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3456/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Star-Foto-Atelier / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3562/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
Love at the wheel
That same year, Heinz Ohlsen played the son of Willy Fritsch in Leichte Muse / Easy Muse (Arthur Maria Rabenalt, 1941).
He appeared opposite another famous actor, Heinrich George, in the romantic drama Schicksal / Fate (Géza von Bolváry, 1942).
After this film, the film career of the still very young actor would be interrupted for nearly a decade. He served as a soldier in the Second World War. After the war, he acted at the Landestheater in Hanover from 1947 to 1948. From 1951 to 1953, he was again engaged at the Schillertheater in Berlin.
Ohlsen returned to the screen in the short Amor am Steuer / Love at the Wheel (Günther Hassert, 1950) with Sonja Masur. The following year, he played a supporting part in the crime film Grenzstation 58 / Boundary Station 58 (Harry Hasso, 1951) starring Hansi Knoteck and Mady Rahl. In 1952, he also appeared with Ewald Balser in the radio play 'Jasons letzte Nacht' (Jason's Last Night), directed by Hanns Korngiebel.
His last film role was a supporting part in the Heinz Rühmann comedy Der eiserne Gustav / The Iron Gustav (Georg Hurdalek, 1958). Based on a true event, the film shows a coachman taking a journey from Berlin to Paris in 1928. Heinz Ohlsen died in 1999. He was 76. Heinz Ohlsen was married several times and had several sons and daughters.
German postcard by Ross-Verlag, no. A 3242/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz / Tobis.
German postcard by Film-Foto-Verlag, no. A 3697/1, 1941-1944. Photo: Binz, Berlin.
Sources: Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos), International Historic Films, Wikipedia (German) and IMDb.
This post was last updated on 13 January 2026.
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