She went to Vienna in 1913 where she was engaged at the legendary Burgtheater. On the height of her career she was appointed to a "Kammerschauspielerin" in 1926.
After the movie "Golgatha" (1920) followed a long-lasting absence from the film business, only in 1967 she acted a last time in front of the camera for "Der Befehl" (1967).
Maria Mayen was among others married with the actor Emmerich Reimers. Her daughter Elisabeth Urbancic became a costume designer for film and stage, her grandchild is the very successful actor Christoph Waltz.
The actress Maria Mayen attended an acting education at the Marie-Seebach school in Berlin. After the education she first acted on different stages in Bonn before she returned to Berling where she often appeared at the Lessing-Theater.