**Gertrude Welcker (1896-1988)** was a German actress, an emblematic figure of silent cinema, particularly associated with Expressionism. Her career, though brief, is inextricably linked to prominent directors such as F.W. Murnau.

She is primarily remembered for her intense performances in masterpieces of the period. Her most celebrated role is undoubtedly Margarete (Gretchen) in Murnau's epic **Faust** (1926), where she embodied the figure of seduced innocence and tragic fate, expressing great vulnerability and pathos. She also appeared in Murnau's revolutionary **Nosferatu the Vampire** (1922), albeit in a minor role.

Welcker excelled at portraying tormented, vulnerable female characters or those who were victims of adverse circumstances, often with remarkable facial and bodily expressiveness. Her cinematic career concluded with the advent of sound film, leading her to retire from the screen.