Louis de Wohl facts for kids

Louis de Wohl was a writer from Germany who later became British. He was known for his work as an astrologer (someone who studies stars) and for helping the British secret service, MI5, during World War II. Before the war, many of his popular books were made into movies. Later in his life, he wrote many books about important Catholic saints and stories from the Bible.

Who was Louis de Wohl?

Louis de Wohl was born in Berlin, Germany, on January 24, 1903. His family was Catholic and not wealthy. His father was from Hungary, and his mother was from Austria. When he was 17, he started working for a banker, but he left that job in 1924.

Moving to England

In 1935, Louis de Wohl moved to England. He did this because he disagreed with the Nazi government in Germany.

Working with MI5 during World War II

During World War II, Louis de Wohl worked with MI5, which is a British intelligence agency. He was an astrologer, and he used his skills to help the British. He was asked to create "black propaganda" against Germany. This meant making fake news or stories to trick the enemy.

In May 1941, he went to the United States. There, he wrote articles and gave talks against Germany. He returned to England in February 1942. He helped a man named Sefton Delmer to create fake copies of a German astrologer's magazine. These fake magazines were dropped over Germany. They would "predict" bad things for German forces, like the destruction of their submarines. Louis de Wohl's help was seen as very useful during the war.

Later Life and Faith

As the war went on, Louis de Wohl became more religious. After the war, he had a very successful career writing books about the history of the Catholic Church and the lives of saints. In 1953, he married Ruth Magdalene Lorch. He passed away in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1961. His last book, Founded on a Rock, was finished just before he died.

Louis de Wohl's Writing Career

Louis de Wohl started writing when he was very young, at just seven years old. His teachers were impressed by his writing. When he was eight, he even wrote a play called "Jesus of Nazareth" because he felt other books didn't show Jesus well.

Early Success as a Novelist

Writing as Ludwig von Wohl, he became a popular writer in Germany. Sixteen of his early books were made into movies. One of the most famous was a comedy film from 1934 called Die englische Heirat (The English Marriage).

Writing for God

Later in his life, Louis de Wohl met Pope Pius XII, the leader of the Catholic Church. The Pope told him to "write about the history and mission of the Church in the World." After this, Louis de Wohl felt he needed to write for God. He believed his earlier German novels were not as important as the books he wrote later.

His book The Spear became very famous around the world. Many of Louis de Wohl's books are still read today. His non-fiction book, Founded on a Rock: A History of the Catholic Church, is often read by students learning about the Catholic faith. He wrote books about many important saints, including St. Benedict, St. Francis of Assisi, Joan of Arc, and Constantine I.

List of Works

• Der große Kampf, 1926
• Das indische Wunder – Jack McGills geheime Sendung, 1926
• Der Präsident von Costa Nueva – Der Roman eines Abenteurers, 1927
• Miss Lillebil aus USA, 1928
• Lord Spleen, 1928
• Knockout Europa, 1928
• Punks kommt aus Amerika, 1929
• Er und Sie und sehr viel Schwindel, 1929
• Die verspielte Prinzessin – Ein Filmroman zwischen Berlin, Hollywood und Kairo, 1929
• Um weißes Gift, 1930
• Der Vagabund vom Äquator, 1930
• Das Testament des Cornelius Gulden, 1930
• Die Wohnung, die über Nacht verschwand, 1931
• Die Göttin der tausend Katzen, 1931
• Der Mann, der die Anleihe stahl, 1931
• Der Mann aus der Hölle, 1931
• Peter im Pech, 1932
• Die weiße Frau des Maharadscha, 1932
• Die goldene Wolke, 1932
• Der unsichtbare Reporter, 1932
• Schwarz ist weiß und weiß ist schwarz, 1933
• Kopfsprung ins Leben, 1933
• Das große Erlebnis, 1933
• Panik im Paradies, 1934
• Die Reise nach Pretoria, 1934
• Die englische Heirat, 1934
• Die Deutschen von Tschau-Fu, 1934
• Blutsbrüder, 1934
• Tropenluft, 1935
• Es kommt ein Mann nach Belawan – Ein Roman auf Sumatra, 1935
• Die Türme des Schweigens, 1936
• I Follow my Stars, 1937
• Secret Service of the Sky, 1938
• Common-sense Astrology, 1940
• Strange Daughter, 1946
• The Living Wood (Emperor Constantine and St. Helena), 1947
• Throne of the World (Attila the Hun and Pope Leo I), 1949
• Imperial Renegade (Emperor Julian the Apostate and St. Athanasius), 1950
• The Quiet Light (St. Thomas Aquinas), 1950
• The Restless Flame (St. Augustine of Hippo), 1951
• The Golden Thread (St. Ignatius Loyola), 1952
• The Stars of War & Peace, 1952
• Set All Afire (St. Francis Xavier), 1953
• The Second Conquest, 1954
• The Spear (St. Longinus), 1955
• The Last Crusader (Don Juan of Austria and The Battle of Lepanto), 1956
• Saint Joan: The Girl Soldier (St. Joan of Arc), 1957
• The Glorious Folly (St. Paul the Apostle), 1957
• The Joyful Beggar (St. Francis of Assisi), 1958
• Citadel of God (St. Benedict of Nursia), 1959
• Adam, Eve, and the Ape, 1960
• Founded on a Rock: A History of the Catholic Church, 1961
• Lay Siege to Heaven (St. Catherine of Siena), 1961
• David of Jerusalem (King David), 1963
• Pope Pius XII: Shepherd to the World

Selected Filmography

• My Friend Harry, directed by Rudolf Walther-Fein and Max Obal (1928, based on the novel Das indische Wunder)
• The Criminal of the Century, directed by Max Obal (1928, based on the novel Jimmy der Schwerverbrecher)
• The President, directed by Gennaro Righelli (1928, based on the novel Der Präsident von Costa Nueva)
• A Girl with Temperament, directed by Victor Janson (1928, based on the novel Miss Lillebil aus USA)
• Once You Give Away Your Heart, directed by Johannes Guter (1929, based on the novel Der Vagabund vom Äquator)
• Die Jagd nach der Million, directed by Rudolf Walther-Fein and Max Obal (1930, based on the novel Lord Spleen)
• The Testament of Cornelius Gulden, directed by E. W. Emo (1932, based on the novel Das Testament des Cornelius Gulden)
• The Legacy of Pretoria, directed by Johannes Meyer (1934, based on the novel Die Reise nach Pretoria)
• The English Marriage, directed by Reinhold Schünzel (1934, based on the novel Die englische Heirat)
• Punks Arrives from America, directed by Karlheinz Martin (1935, based on the novel Punks kommt aus Amerika)
• The Love of the Maharaja, directed by Arthur Maria Rabenalt (German-language version, 1936, based on the novel Die weiße Frau des Maharadscha)
  • A Woman Between Two Worlds, directed by Goffredo Alessandrini (Italian-language version, 1936, based on the novel Die weiße Frau des Maharadscha)
• Crime Over London, directed by Alfred Zeisler (1936, based on the novel House of a Thousand Windows)
• Francis of Assisi, directed by Michael Curtiz (1961, based on the novel The Joyful Beggar)

Screenwriter

• The Sweet Girl (dir. Manfred Noa, 1926)
• Crooks in Tails (dir. Manfred Noa, 1927)
• The Eighteen Year Old (dir. Manfred Noa, 1927)
• The Last Company (dir. Curtis Bernhardt, 1930)
• Love's Carnival (dir. Hans Steinhoff, 1930)
• Abenteuer im Engadin (dir. Max Obal, 1932)
• The Oil Sharks (French-language version, dir. Rudolph Cartier and Henri Decoin, 1933)
  • Invisible Opponent (German-language version, dir. Rudolph Cartier, 1933)
• Homecoming to Happiness (dir. Carl Boese, 1933)
• Decoy (German-language version, dir. Hans Steinhoff, 1934)
  • The Decoy (French-language version, dir. Roger Le Bon and Hans Steinhoff, 1935)
• Make-Up (dir. Alfred Zeisler, 1937)
• Dein Horoskop – Dein Schicksal? (documentary on astrology, dir. Konrad Lustig, 1956)

See also

In Spanish: Louis de Wohl para niños