Who hasn’t lived in Berlin: from David Bowie to Harry Styles, the capital attracts famous personalities. No wonder, given the impressive range of events that Berlin offers week after week! Among the celebrities who have made Berlin their home for a time is Romy Schneider. The German-French actress made over 60 films in the course of her career and became an icon in Germany thanks to her role as “Sissi”. During a crucial phase of her life, she lived in a house in one of Berlin’s most exclusive districts.
Romy Schneider – an icon not only for older Berliners
Romy Schneider lived in Berlin-Grunewald for a while from the end of 1966, more precisely at Winklerstraße 22 , where she lived with her first husband, director and actor Harry Meyen, and her son David Christopher.
Her move to Germany is almost historic, at least according to some fans. Romy Schneider returned to Germany after her famous “escape” to Paris. In Paris, she had tried to get away from her image as “Sissi”, which she did not succeed in doing until the end of her life.
Her marriage to Harry Meyen was a new start for her, just like the house in Grunewald. She wanted to build a stable family life in Germany, but in the end it didn’t last. Her marriage ended nine years later. Her path led Romy Schneider back to France for good. The last years of her life were marked by heavy blows of fate, including the suicide of her ex-husband and her son’s fatal accident.
A villa like her life: Luxurious and nostalgic
Today, the house at Winklerstraße 22 is a nostalgic place. Several tours for tourists lead past it and give an insight into Romy Schneider’s middle-class life in Berlin. For fans, it is a silent witness to a lost era of a great star.
At the same time, it is characterized by luxury. It was a villa in the prestigious style of the Grunewald villa district. In fact, Grunewald is one of the most expensive residential areas in Germany! Today, villas in this location often achieve sales prices in the double-digit million range. Even though Romy Schneider sought a “normal” life, her lifestyle was hardly comparable to that of other citizens.
The actress remains a legend of cinema, probably precisely because of her tragic life. Her everyday life between glamor, artistic aspirations and personal tragedy has shaped the myth of Romy Schneider to this day. The villa is real proof of her short-lived happiness.