Leontine Sagan: Biography, Facts and Career
Who is Leontine Sagan? An evergreen, sourced profile: biography, key facts and career.

Leontine Sagan (born Leontine Schlesinger; 13 February 1889 – 20 May 1974) was a theatre director and actress of Jewish descent, whose life and career took her from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to South Africa, Britain and the United States. She is best known for directing a film, Mädchen in Uniform (1931), which has been celebrated for its scathing indictment of Prussian military-style schooling, as well as its sensitive portrayal of same-sex intimacy between a teacher and a student at a girls' school, in the waning years of Germany's Weimar Republic. Sagan was born in Budapest but grew up in South Africa. After returning to Vienna to attend Max Reinhardt's Theatre School in Vienna, she acted on Austrian provincial stages, and moved on to major roles in Dresden, Frankfurt and Berlin, where she also directed theatre, first in Germany and, after she had to flee Hitler, in Britain, South Africa, and Australia. She co-founded the National Theatre Organisation of South Africa in 1947, and died in Pretoria, South Africa in 1974, at the age of 85.
Quick facts about Leontine Sagan
- Full name: Leontine Sagan
- Born: 1889-02-13
- Nationality: Austria
- Known as: Actor
- Wikidata ID: Q79016
Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Leontine Sagan?
Leontine Sagan (born Leontine Schlesinger; 13 February 1889 – 20 May 1974) was a theatre director and actress of Jewish descent, whose life and career took her from the Austro-Hungarian Empire to South Africa, Britain and the United States.
What nationality is Leontine Sagan?
Leontine Sagan is Austria.
When was Leontine Sagan born?
Leontine Sagan was born on 1889-02-13.



