!!!Raimund, Ferdinand eigentlich F. J. Raimann

b. Vienna, June 1, 1790, 
d. Pottenstein (Lower Austria), Sept. 5, 1836 (from the effects of a 
suicide attempt), actor, playwright (fantasy and magical plays), 
"classics" of the old Viennese  Volkstheater tradition. Came into 
contact with the Burgtheater as a seller of baker's wares, from 1808 
he worked with touring companies and achieved a breakthrough 1814-1817 
at the Theater in der Josefstadt. From 1817 at the Theater in der 
Leopoldstadt, 1823 immediately won recognition as an author with the 
magical play "Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel". From 1821 he 
was director, 1828-1830 manager of the Theater in der Leopoldstadt. 
1828 with "Der Alpenkoenig and der Menschenfeind" celebrated his 
greatest success as an author and actor ("Rappelkopf"). The 
"Verschwender" (1834) also proved extremely successful. His private 
life was marked by unhappiness. A marriage with his beloved Toni 
Wagner was refused by her parents, his marriage with Louise Gleich 
lasted only 2 years. The relationship with Toni Wagner which followed 
was not very harmonious. R. suffered increasingly from depression and 
in 1836, in fear of having contracted rabies from a dog bite, he 
attempted suicide and died a few days afterwards from the effects.

\\
In his works R. expressed human warmth and values and combined local 
characteristics with poetic expertise, humour with melancholy, 
realistic presentation of the social classes with Baroque magical 
stage-effects. A fairy-tale world and moral allegories characterised 
his popular plays. His plays advocate Biedermeier values (loyalty, 
gratitude, moderation, contentment).The musical interludes were 
composed by W.  Mueller, J.  Drechsler and K.  Kreutzer; some of the 
melodies became "classics" and were written by R. himself 
("Bruederlein fein").

!Works
magical and phantasy plays: Der Barometermacher auf der 
Zauberinsel, 1823; Der Diamant des Geisterkoenigs, 1824; Das Maedchen 
aus der Feenwelt oder Der Bauer als Millionaer, 1826; Moisasurs 
Zauberfluch, 1827; Der Alpenkoenig und der Menschenfeind, 1828; Die 
gefesselte Phantasie, 1828; Die unheilbringende Krone, 1829; Der 
Verschwender, 1834. - Editions: Saemtliche Werke. Annotated 
anniversary edition in 6 vols., ed. by F. Brukner and E. Castle, 
1924-1934 (reprint 1974); Liebesbriefe, ed. by F. Brukner, 1914.

!Literature
O. Rommel, F. R. und die Vollendung des Alt-Wr. 
Zauberstuecks, 1947; J. Hein, F. R., 1970; G. Wiltschko, R. 
Dramaturgie, 1973; R. Wagner, F. R., Eine Biographie, 1985; G. Riedl, 
R. Bilder aus einem Theaterleben, 1990; W. Deutschmann and R. Wagner 
(ed.), Es ist ewig schad' um mich, exhibition catalogue, Historisches 
Museum der Stadt Wien, 1996.



%%language
[Back to the Austrian Version|AEIOU/Raimund,_Ferdinand|class='wikipage austrian']
%%

[{FreezeArticle author='AEIOU' template='Lexikon_1995_englisch'}]
[{ALLOW view All}][{ALLOW comment All}][{ALLOW edit FreezeAdmin}]