Biography
Mathias was born on June 23, 1902. Throughout his extensive career, he appeared in over 50 films and was a seasoned stage actor, particularly known for his portrayals of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Dr. Faust. One of his notable films was The Blue Light (1932), directed by Leni Riefenstahl, who also acted in the movie. In "Das Blaue Licht," Mathias played the lead role opposite Riefenstahl as a painter who befriends her character, leading to unfortunate consequences. Mathias and Riefenstahl had previously collaborated on the film Storm Over Mont Blanc (1930). At 99 years old, with her 100th birthday approaching in August 2002, Riefenstahl fondly remembered Mathias as "ein wunderbarer Mensch." Another significant film in his career was the 1936 feature _Ewige Maske, Die_, about a doctor confronting and overcoming mental illness. This film won the 1937 American National Board of Review award for best foreign film, with Mathias receiving the best actor award. It was also nominated at the Venice Film Festival.
During the National Socialist regime, Mathias was considered "persona non grata" by Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda responsible for film production in Germany.
Other remarkable films include the 1952 Cannes Film Festival entry _Herz der Welt (1951)_, in which Mathias portrayed Dr. Alfred Nobel, and the 1954 film Fear (1954), co-starring Ingrid Bergman and directed by her husband Roberto Rossellini. In Fear, Mathias played Bergman’s husband, and the story revolves around an affair Bergman's character has while married to Mathias' character.
As a stage actor, Mathias performed in numerous productions, including German adaptations of plays by Shakespeare, G.B. Shaw, Henrik Ibsen, and German playwrights like Bertolt Brecht. He was a prominent member of the Deutsches Theater in Berlin throughout the 1920s. It was during his time in Berlin that he met his wife, Erika (Friedericke Anna Hedwig Meingast), a stage actress. They married on January 11, 1926. After their marriage, Erika gave up her promising acting career to support Mathias. Besides theater and film, Mathias worked in radio and recorded narrations of famous works accompanied by symphonic music. Available recordings include Deutsche Grammophon's 2000 release "Mathias Wieman spricht Homer. Aus Der Odyssee," the 2002 release "Herman Hesse. Tractat vom Steppenwolf," and "Mozart auf der Reise nach Prag" (Deutsche Grammophon, 1968).
After World War II, Mathias and Erika relocated to Zurich, Switzerland. Mathias died of cancer in 1969, followed by Erika, who also succumbed to cancer, in 1972. The couple had no children.
