Lotte Hass facts for kids
Lotte Hass (born Charlotte Hildegard Baierl; 6 November 1928 – 14 January 2015) was an amazing Austrian underwater diver, model, and actress. She was married to the famous Austrian naturalist and diving pioneer Hans Hass. Lotte worked as a model and actress in many of his underwater nature films. Her important contributions to diving were recognized when she was added to the Women Divers Hall of Fame and the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame in 2000.
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Becoming an Underwater Explorer
In the summer of 1947, Lotte Baierl, who had just finished high school, became a secretary for Hans Hass in Vienna. She was a big fan of his work. Lotte was very keen to join Hass's next big trip. She worked hard, learning about diving gear and how to use underwater cameras. She practiced diving and taking photos in lakes near Vienna. Hans Hass's assistant, Kurt Schaefer, helped her learn and train.
Joining the Expedition
Hans Hass usually didn't want women on his expeditions. But Lotte was determined! She not only learned to dive, but also became very good at using an underwater camera. She kept asking to join his trips. Finally, Hans Hass agreed. A film company thought that having a talented woman like Lotte would make his next documentary more exciting for everyone to watch.
Adventures in the Red Sea
Lotte Baierl was chosen for the expedition to the Red Sea in 1950. This trip lasted several months and was quite challenging. But it led to a very famous film called "Under the Red Sea", which even won an Oscar! Lotte starred in the film using her maiden name. During this trip, Hans Hass was the first person to film amazing creatures like manta rays and whale sharks. Lotte was busy taking underwater photos and modeling. She wore a special swimming costume that audiences loved. In 1970, she wrote a book about her experiences on this trip, called "A Girl on the Ocean Floor".
A Star Underwater
Lotte was very good in front of the camera. The media loved her and wanted to interview her and take her picture. She was seen as a friendly, natural girl with long blonde hair who wasn't afraid of danger or hard work underwater. Soon, her pictures were on the front pages of many important international magazines.
Turning Down Hollywood
Lotte even received offers to act in films from Hollywood. But she said no to all of them because she didn't want to be a full-time actress. While Lotte's participation in the Red Sea expedition was celebrated in the United States, Germany, and Austria, some people doubted how serious Hans Hass's scientific work was because of her involvement. Some even joked about her name, calling her "Lotte Haierl" ("Hai" means "shark" in German).
Film Success
Even in 1959, some critics didn't fully understand Hans Hass's work. They didn't see how he balanced making his films like documentaries, but also presenting them in an exciting way like feature films. This mix worked very well! In 1951, his film "Adventures in the Red Sea" won an international award at the Venice Biennale for feature-length documentaries.
Family Life
In early November 1950, on their flight back to Vienna from Port Sudan, Hans Hass and Lotte Baierl got engaged. They had their civil wedding on 29 November 1950 in Küsnacht near Lake Zurich. Later, in February 1963, they had a church wedding in St. Augustin Church in Vienna.
Life After Expeditions
In the 1950s, Lotte joined Hans Hass on two more "Xarifa" expeditions. They also hosted two British TV shows together: Diving to Adventure and The Undersea World of Adventure. After their daughter, Meta, was born in 1958, Lotte Hass mostly stopped her public work. She focused on her family and raising their daughter. She rarely appeared in front of the camera after that. In 1976, she had a small role in an episode of the famous detective TV series Derrick.
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See also
In Spanish: Lotte Hass para niños
