Dorothea Neff

A suicide note bearing the name Lilli Wolff, discovered in a Vienna apartment, served as a tactical deception to mislead the Gestapo. This act of administrative sabotage was orchestrated by the actress Dorothea Neff, who provided shelter to her Jewish friend after Wolff received mandatory resettlement orders requiring her departure from the city.

Early Career and Stage Presence

Born in Munich in 1903, Neff established her professional identity as a stage actor in Vienna during the 1930s. Her career in the performing arts spanned several decades, eventually transitioning into cinema, where she maintained an active presence until her death in 1986.

THE FREE TEST

How high is yours?

Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.

Take the IQ test →

Clandestine Resistance

Neff utilized her personal residence to conceal Lilli Wolff, directly opposing the directives of the regime. To bolster the illusion of Wolff’s absence or departure, she left a fabricated suicide note in her living quarters. Following her stay with Neff, Wolff was sheltered by Mati Driessen and Meta Schmidt, both of whom were recognized alongside Neff for their contributions to the safety of persecuted individuals.

Cinematic Contributions

Her filmography includes roles in The Singing House, released in 1948, and Adventure in Vienna, released in 1952. She continued to work in the industry despite developing blindness in 1967, a condition that persisted throughout the final two decades of her life. Her later career included an appearance in the 1960 production I'm Marrying the Director.

Honors and Legacy

In 1979, the Holocaust remembrance center Yad Vashem recognized Neff as one of the Righteous Among the Nations for risking her own life to hide a Jewish person. She was also a recipient of the Kainz Medal. Upon her death in 1986 at the age of 83, she was interred at the Vienna Central Cemetery.