---
name: "Hildegard Knef"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/hildegard-knef"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "28 December 1925"
died: "1 February 2002"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-20T02:18:02.724650+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Hildegard Knef

Actor. Born 28 December 1925 in Ulm, Germany. Died 1 February 2002.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 28 December 1925, Ulm, Germany
- **Died:** 1 February 2002
- **Also known as:** Hildegarde Neff
- **Berlin International Film Festival:** 1 Berlin prize (1 won)
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hildegard_Knef, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57604, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0460651/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/14168

## Biography

Hildegard Knef, also credited as Hildegarde Neff, was a German actress, singer and writer. Born in Ulm in 1925, she grew up in Berlin and began her career in post-war German cinema. Her early roles included Susanne Wallner in Wolfgang Staudte's *The Murderers Are Among Us* (1946), one of the first German films made after the Second World War.

Knef appeared in international productions from the early 1950s. She played Hilde in Anatole Litvak's *Decision Before Dawn* (1951) and had roles in Hollywood films such as *The Snows of Kilimanjaro* (1952). She achieved notable success on Broadway as Ninotchka in Cole Porter's musical *Silk Stockings* (1954–56), performing the role 675 times. Knef died in Berlin in 2002.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, filmportal.de, fembio.org.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Decision Before Dawn* (1951), Fi1m 79, as Hilde — [page](https://film.one/film/decision-before-dawn.md)

## Complete filmography (59)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Hilde* (2009), Author
- *Eine fast perfekte Hochzeit* (1999), as Marlene Wolf-Schönberg - Hennys Tante
- *Tödliches Erbe* (1995), as Lore Olmer
- *Wie Pech und Schwefel* (1994), series, as Oma
- *Haus am See* (1992), series, as Lilly Tüllmann
- *Ein Schloß am Wörthersee* (1990), series, as Rutila von Greifenberg
- *Peter Strohm* (1989), series, as Gräfin
- *In inniger Feindschaft* (1989), as Gina Montano
- *Witchcraft (Evil Encounters)* (1988), as Lady in Black
- *The Future of Emily* (1985), as Paula
- *Scarecrow and Mrs. King* (1983), series, as Princess Sophia Valosky
- *Der Gärtner von Toulouse* (1982), as Mrs. Théophot
- *Warum die UFOs unseren Salat klauen* (1980), as Peters Mutter
- *Fedora* (1978), as Countess Sobryanski
- *The Old Fox* (1977), series, as Erika Gerold
- *Everyone Dies Alone* (1976), as Anna Quangel
- *The Lost Continent* (1968), as Eva Peters
- *The Dirty Dozen* (1967), as (uncredited)
- *Mozambique* (1964), as Ilona Valdez
- *Condemned to Sin* (1964), as Alwine
- *Mark of the Tortoise* (1964), as Lorelli
- *The Spy* (1964), as Elinor van Berg
- *And So to Bed* (1963), as Callgirl
- *Curd Jürgens erzählt...* (1963), series, as Evelyn
- *Ballad for a Hoodlum* (1963), as Martha
- *The Threepenny Opera* (1963), as Spelunken-Jenny
- *Bluebeard* (1963), as German Widow
- *Catherine of Russia* (1963), as Catherine the Great
- *Laura* (1962), as Laura Hunt
- *Lulu* (1962), as Baroness Geschwitz
- *Golden Boy* (1962), as Lorna Moon
- *The Human Voice* (1960), as The Woman
- *Valley of the Doomed* (1960), as Maria Luisa di Borbone
- *International Detective* (1959), series, as Brenda Carrington
- *Subway in the Sky* (1959), as Lilli Hoffman
- *The Man Who Sold Himself* (1959), as Martina Schilling
- *Port of Desire* (1958), as Maria
- *Escape from Sahara* (1958), as Madeleine Durand
- *Confession Under Four Eyes* (1954), as Hilde Garden
- *Svengali* (1954), as Trilby O'Farrell
- *Eine Liebesgeschichte* (1954), as Lili Schallweiß
- *The Man Between* (1953), as Bettina
- *Illusion in Moll* (1952), as Lydia Bauer
- *Holiday for Henrietta* (1952), as Rita Solar
- *Unnatural* (1952), as Alraune
- *Night Without Sleep* (1952), as Lisa Muller
- *The Snows of Kilimanjaro* (1952), as Countess Liz
- *Diplomatic Courier* (1952), as Janine Betki
- *Nights on the Road* (1952), as Inge Hoffmann
- *Decision Before Dawn* (1951), as Hilde — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/decision-before-dawn.md)
- *Miracles Still Happen* (1951), as Anita Weidner
- *Die Sünderin* (1951), as Marina
- *Journey to Happiness* (1948), as Susanne Loevengaard
- *Film Without Title* (1948), as Christine Fleming
- *Between Yesterday and Tomorrow* (1947), as Das Mädchen Kat
- *The Murderers Are Among Us* (1946), as Susanne Wallner
- *Under the Bridges* (1946), as Girl in Havelberg
- *The Brothers Noltenius* (1945), Actor
- *Spring Melody* (1945), as Zwilling ohne Leberfleck

## Gallery

- ![Hildegard Knef](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-94454bf5e62b.jpg) Hildegard Knef — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Hildegard_Knef_254-8439.jpg/1280px-Hildegard_Knef_254-8439.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maakt TV-opnamen Beschrijving : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maak (1969)](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-1c707313a21a.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maakt TV-opnamen Beschrijving : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maak (1969) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Duitse_zangeres_Hildegard_Knef_maakt_TV_opnamen%2C_Bestanddeelnr_254-8432.jpg/1280px-Duitse_zangeres_Hildegard_Knef_maakt_TV_opnamen%2C_Bestanddeelnr_254-8432.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maakt TV-opnamen Beschrijving : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maak (1969)](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-e9c6daaf286f.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maakt TV-opnamen Beschrijving : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maak (1969) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Duitse_zangeres_Hildegard_Knef_maakt_TV_opnamen_Hildegard_Knef_met_microfoon%2C_Bestanddeelnr_254-8440.jpg/1280px-Duitse_zangeres_Hildegard_Knef_maakt_TV_opnamen_Hildegard_Knef_met_microfoon%2C_Bestanddeelnr_254-8440.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maakt TV-opnamen Beschrijving : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maak (1969)](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-1b0f16d3b865.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maakt TV-opnamen Beschrijving : Duitse zangeres Hildegard Knef maak (1969) — Eric Koch for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Duitse_zangeres_Hildegard_Knef_maakt_TV_opnamen_Hildegard_Knef_met_microfoon%2C_Bestanddeelnr_254-8441.jpg/1280px-Duitse_zangeres_Hildegard_Knef_maakt_TV_opnamen_Hildegard_Knef_met_microfoon%2C_Bestanddeelnr_254-8441.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Hildegard Knef](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-1aa1e77b51a5.jpg) Hildegard Knef — Image via TMDB
- ![Hildegard Knef](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-8864eaaf17f3.jpg) Hildegard Knef — Image via TMDB
- ![Hildegard Knef treedt op "Nicht von gestern" in de Philips Schouwburg te Eindhoven, Hildegard Knef zoals zij in het stuk te zien is (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-a87c25930d42.jpg) Hildegard Knef treedt op "Nicht von gestern" in de Philips Schouwburg te Eindhoven, Hildegard Knef zoals zij in het stuk te zien is (1961) — Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/69/Hildegard_Knef_911-9779.jpg/1280px-Hildegard_Knef_911-9779.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Hildegard Knef treedt op "Nicht von gestern" in de Philips Schouwburg te Eindhoven, Hildegard Knef zoals zij in het stuk te zien is (1961)](https://film.one/media/person/1236689/gallery-dbdb93d8e350.jpg) Hildegard Knef treedt op "Nicht von gestern" in de Philips Schouwburg te Eindhoven, Hildegard Knef zoals zij in het stuk te zien is (1961) — Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Hildegard_Knef_911-9780.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)

## Awards

### Berlin International Film Festival — 1 won

- 1996: Berliner Bär (won)

### Other awards — 3 won

- Echo Pop Honorary Award 2000: Echo Pop Honorary Award (won)
- Helmut Käutner Prize 1993: Helmut Käutner Prize (won)
- Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 1975: Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/hildegard-knef