Born September 8, 1850, died January 18, 1926. She was a Hungarian actress and singer, and was dubbed "the nation's nightingale."
Her father was an officer in the royal military. After his service, he became a traveling actor. Her mother traveled with him, and Louisa was born on the road, in a boot-maker's shop that her mother happened to be traveling near when she went into labor. They continued their traveling lifestyle, but Louisa's father succumbed in 1856 to cholera, dying in the middle of a performance. His widow remarried to a man who designed theater sets. Louisa went on stage throughout her childhood, her first performance taking place at the age of six.
When Louisa was 16, she married her first husband, a 37 year old conductor and soldier named John. He taught her to sing and gave her a musical formation. Although she would marry two more times after him, she kept his name throughout her life. She had two children, Sandor and Sarah.
After a tour in Austria, she was offered a permanent position in Vienna's performance halls, but she refused, saying that she wanted to be known as a Hungarian performer. She signed a contract back in Hungary and worked there regularly until 1901, after which her performances were sporadic. She became an avid supporter of her granddaughter, Gitta's, stage career.
From 1914 onwards, she lived a mostly secluded life with her sister and granddaughter, Mandy. She suffered from illnesses and became mostly homebound. Her last time on stage was in 1923, but she no longer sang. She never took a liking to the medium of films, and was especially disturbed by the silent movies of the era and the grotesque over-acting employed by actors of the time. She only made one appearance in front of the cameras, when at the age of 73 she accepted an award for the National Actor's Guild. On her 75th birthday in 1925, an orchestra serenaded her, but she tired quickly and retired to her apartment. She caught pneumonia, and "the Great Lady" died soon afterwards.
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