Hanswurst#
Hanswurst, buffoonish character of popular theatre and touring companies. Based on the harlequin and pickle-herring figures, J. Stranitzky created the character of the "Wienerischer Hans Wurst" around 1710, further developed by G. Prehauser and J. F. von Kurz ("Bernardon"); J. J. La Roche created the "Kasperl", A. Hasenhut the "Thaddaedl", A. Baeuerle the umbrella-maker "Staberl". The fight of J. v. Sonnenfels against extempore comedy and burlesque Hanswurst plays led to the introduction of censorship by Maria Theresia, but the Hanswurst characters remained popular with Viennese audiences until the 19th century (F. Raimund, J. Nestroy).
Literature#
R. M. Werner, Der Wiener Hanswurst, 1883; C. v. Goerner, Der Hans-Wurst-Streit in Wien und J. v. Sonnenfels, 1884; G. Gugitz, Der weiland Kasperl, 1920; O. Rommel, Die Alt-Wiener Volkskomoedie, 1952; M. Dietrich, Hanswurst lebt noch, 1965; W. Zitzenbacher, Hanswurst und die Feenwelt, 1965; J. Hein, Das Wiener Volkstheater, 1978; H. Aust, Volksstueck. Vom Hanswurst-Spiel zum sozialen Drama der Gegenwart, 1989.