Julia Serda

Julia Serda (6 April 1875 – 3 December 1965) was an Austrian stage and film actress. She was married to the actor Hans Junkermann. Julia Serda was born on 6 April 1875 in Vienna. She became fascinated by the stage at an early age, taking singing lessons from Pauline Lucca and studying acting at the Vienna Conservatory.

Serda made her debut in 1895 at the theater in Breslau, after which she went to Königsberg for three years.

In 1899 she followed a call to the Dresden Court Theater, to which she remained connected until 1908 and was awarded the title of "Royal Saxon Court Actress". During this time, she also made her Berlin debut in 1902, appeared at the Vienna Burgtheater in 1907, and in 1908 at the Meinhard-Bernauer-Bühnen.

Serda was most successful for playing the naive and sentimental heroine, for example with the title role in Franz Grillparzer's tragedy The Jewess of Toledo, as Oscar Wilde's Salome, or as a cricket in Johannisfeuer by Hermann Sudermann. She also acted as Louise in Intrigue and Love and Leonore in Fiesco.

In 1911, Serda married actor Hans Junkermann. Prior to their marriage, she had been married to Karl August Lingner, with whom she had a daughter, Charlotte Serda (1910–1965), who became an actress and photographer.

In 1914, Serda began working at the Deutsches Schauspielhaus in Hamburg, where she was a part of the ensemble until the 1920–1921 season. She then returned to Berlin, making guest appearances on various stages.

Serda made her screen debut in Erich Schönfelder's Rebel Liesel (1920), starring Ossi Oswalda. She appeared as Austrian Empress Maria Theresa in Fridericus Rex (1922), and acted as Madame de Maintenon in Nanon (1924), opposite Ágnes Esterházy and Harry Liedtke. Her final silent film was The Old Fritz (1928).

Serda successfully made the transition to sound films, and between 1930 and 1944 she acted in over 50 productions, including Maskerade (1934), La Habanera (1937), and The Great Love (1942). Her final screen appearance was in Music in Salzburg (1944) with Willy Birgel and Lil Dagover.

After World War II she ran a private drama studio in Dresden, only occasionally appearing on stage as part of guest performances.