Biographien#

Biographies, accounts of the lives of personalities of the past and present. Inscriptions on tombs and the classical lives of saints (Vita Severini, Passio Floriani) were further developed as hagiography in the Middle Ages (Altmann von Passau, Archbishops of Salzburg). In the Early Modern period, funeral orations and detailed gravestone inscriptions included biographical data, later glorifications in book form were commissioned by powerful rulers, for example by Maximilian I. Critical biography writing began in the Age of Enlightenment. From the 19th century, autobiographies have become common, with authors describing, and often justifying, their own life and actions.

Biographical Dictionaries: C. von Wurzbach, Biographisches Lexikon des Kaiserthums Oesterreich, 61 vols., 1856-1923; Grosse Oesterreicher. Neue oesterreichische Biographie, 21 vols., From 1923; Who is Who in Austria (based on autobiographical data), several editions since 1955; Oesterreichisches Biographisches Lexikon 1815-1950, 1957ff.; W. Kleindel, Das grosse Buch der Oesterreicher, 1987; I. Ackerl and F. Weissensteiner, Oe. Personenlexikon der 1. und 2. Republik, 1992; Specialist biographical works for scholars and scientists: Kuerschners Deutscher Gelehrtenkalender, 151992. Artists: U. Thieme and F. Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Kuenstler von der Antike bis zur Gegenwart, 37 vols., original edition 1900-1950, reprint 1992; H. Fuchs, Die oesterreichischen Maler des 19. Jahrhunderts, 6 vols., 1972-1979; idem, Die oesterreichischen Maler der Geburtsjahrgaenge 1881-1900, 2 vols., 1976/77; idem, Die oesterreichischen Maler des 20. Jahrhunderts, 7 vols. 1985-1992; H. Vollmer, Allgemeines Lexikon der bildenden Kuenstler des 20. Jahrhunderts, 6 vols., 1992; Riemann, Musiklexikon, 121959. Literature: Several institutions have their own biographical databanks in electronic form (ORF, newspapers, etc.). German biographical dictionaries which may also be relevant for Austria; Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie, 56 vols., 1875-1912, Nachdruck 1967; Neue Deutsche Biographie, 1953ff.; H. Giebisch and G. Gugitz, Bio-bibliographisches Literaturlexikon Oe., 1963; Kindlers Neues Literaturlexikon, 20 vols., 1988-1992; W. Killy, Literaturlexikon, 15 vols., 1988-1993; Riemann, Musiklexikon, 121959-61, supplement 1973.

Literature#