poster for the Swedish singer Zarah Leander , 1930s (poster)

Zarah Leander (1907-1981), Swedish singer and actress whose greatest success was in Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. From 1936, she was contracted to work for the German Universum Film AG (UFA) while continuing to record songs. her films and lyrics were viewed by some as propaganda for the Nazi cause, although she took no public political position. She was strongly criticised, particularly in Sweden. Initially shunned by much of the artistic community and public, she found herself unable to resume her career after the Second World War. It was several years before she could make a comeback in Sweden, and she would remain a figure of public controversy for the rest of her life.