Born #OTD 1914: Lída Baarová, the Czech actress who became the mistress of Joseph Goebbels

Photo: Sueddeutsche Zeitung Photo/INTERFOTO/Alamy Stock Photo

Lída Baarová’s dalliance with the Nazi minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, which endured from 1936 to 1938, caused such grievous torment to Goebbels’ wife, Magda, that she appealed directly to Adolf Hitler for intervention. As Hitler was preparing for the invasion of the Sudetenland, he decreed that Herr Goebbels and Fräulein Baarová cease their affair, and forbade Baarová from performing on stage or screen. Exiled to Prague, now under the heel of Nazi rule, Baarová was eventually allowed to appear in a few productions. She also resided and performed in Fascist Italy during the Second World War. Upon the Allied victory in Europe, Baarová returned to Germany, whereupon she was seized by American military officers and sent back to Prague to face trial. 

Released in 1947 due to a lack of evidence to convict her, she then took a brief sojourn in Argentina with her then-husband. Thenceforth, after living in poverty and apparently unhappy in her marriage, she returned to Europe and revived her career to a small degree, appearing in several Italian films during the 1950s. In 1958, she moved to Salzburg, Austria, where she wedded a wealthy physician, and there spent the rest of her days, until she departed this mortal coil on 27 October 2000.

Photo: Lída Baarová, circa 1937, doth strike a poised and elegant stance, adorned in a most glamorous, embellished two-piece array with intricate design. Her raiment consists of a sparkling, sequined bodice and a matching skirt, bedecked with ornate and ruffled adornments. With both hands, she holds the sides of her skirt, spreading it wide to display its elaborate craftsmanship. Her tresses flow in soft waves, and she doth gaze off to the side with a composed and confident countenance.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.