Celebrity A–Z · Stars · Swedish-German film diva

Zarah Leander

Born: 15 March 1907 · Died: 23 June 1981

With her dark, smoky voice, Swedish-born Zarah Leander was the biggest star of Germany's Ufa studio in the 1930s and '40s. Melancholy schlager songs like “Nur nicht aus Liebe weinen” made her immortal, and her screen persona as a tragic diva became legendary. Her career in Nazi-era cinema remained controversial for the rest of her life; she died in Stockholm in 1981 at age 74.

Also known as: Sara Stina Hedberg