Emma Johanna Henny Sonnemann began her professional life as an actress at the National Theatre in Weimar before marrying the prominent Luftwaffe chief Hermann Göring in 1935. As his second wife, she gained significant public attention and frequently acted as hostess for state functions, navigating the complex social hierarchies of the Nazi regime while maintaining a high-profile, affluent lifestyle.
Early Career and Marriages
Born in Hamburg in 1893 to a wealthy salesman, she pursued an acting career on stage and in film. Her first marriage was to actor Karl Köstlin in 1916, which ended in divorce in 1926. In 1934, she appeared in the film William Tell. Following her marriage to Hermann Göring in 1935, she became an unsolicited member of the Nazi Party in 1938 and received the Staatsschauspieler title.
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During the pre-war years, she filled the role of hostess at state functions, attempting to establish herself as the First Lady of the Third Reich. This ambition caused friction with Eva Braun and Magda Goebbels. Her husband, who renamed his hunting lodge at Rominten as Emmyhall in her honor, provided a life of significant luxury. Their daughter, Edda, was born in 1938.
Post-War Prosecution and Later Years
After the war, authorities arrested her at her home in Sackdilling on charges related to her husband's collection of confiscated art. She was imprisoned at the Straubing camp until a denazification court sentenced her to one year in jail. The court also ordered the confiscation of 30 percent of her property and barred her from the stage for five years. She died in Munich in 1973 and was buried at the Munich Waldfriedhof.
Fast facts
- Born: 24 March 1893, Hamburg
- Died: 8 June 1973, Munich
- First Marriage: Karl Köstlin, 1916
- Second Marriage: Hermann Göring, 1935
- Daughter: Edda Göring
- Awards: Staatsschauspieler, Golden Party Badge
- Autobiography: My Life with Göring (1972)
- Burial Site: Munich Waldfriedhof
Questions readers ask
What was Emmy Göring's professional background?
She worked as a stage and film actor, appearing in the 1934 film William Tell.
What happened to her after the Second World War?
She served one year in prison following a denazification trial, faced a five-year ban from acting, and lost 30 percent of her property.
Achievements
- Worked as stage actor, film actor and autobiographer
