Josef Meinrad
Encyclopedia
Josef Meinrad was an Austria
n actor
.
Josef Meinrad was born Josef Moučka in Vienna
, as the fourth and youngest child of the tramdriver Franz Moučka and his second wife Katharina. For his secondary education, he received a scholarship in a school run by Redemptorists
in Katzelsdorf
near Wiener Neustadt
. At first, he wanted to become a priest, but he left the boarding school in 1929 and became a clerk, while taking acting lessons. He made his public acting debut in 1930, by which time he called himself Josef Meinrad. His first brief engagement at the Burgtheater
was in 1939, he then played at the Salzburg Festival
in 1947. later that year, Meinrad became a full-time permanent member of the Burgtheater company and was part of that ensemble until his 65th birthday in 1978; he played 195 roles on that stage.
Meinrad was the keeper of the Iffland-Ring
, which for 200 years has been given to the most important actor of the German speaking theatre; he passed the ring on to Bruno Ganz
.
From 1950 until his death he was married to Germaine Renée Clement, who died in 2006. Meinrad died in 1996 from cancer, aged 82, in Großgmain
and is buried there.
He also appeared twice in the German TV series, Der Kommissar.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
.
Josef Meinrad was born Josef Moučka in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, as the fourth and youngest child of the tramdriver Franz Moučka and his second wife Katharina. For his secondary education, he received a scholarship in a school run by Redemptorists
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
in Katzelsdorf
Katzelsdorf
Katzelsdorf is an Austrian municipality in the district of Wiener Neustadt-Land in Lower Austria.-Location:Katzelsdorf is located in an area where hot springs are found. It is at the foot of the Rosaliengebirges. Its river is the Leitha and its canal is the Mühlbach.- External links :* *...
near Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
. At first, he wanted to become a priest, but he left the boarding school in 1929 and became a clerk, while taking acting lessons. He made his public acting debut in 1930, by which time he called himself Josef Meinrad. His first brief engagement at the Burgtheater
Burgtheater
The Burgtheater , originally known as K.K. Theater an der Burg, then until 1918 as the K.K. Hofburgtheater, is the Austrian National Theatre in Vienna and one of the most important German language theatres in the world.The Burgtheater was created in 1741 and has become known as "die Burg" by the...
was in 1939, he then played at the Salzburg Festival
Salzburg Festival
The Salzburg Festival is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer within the Austrian town of Salzburg, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
in 1947. later that year, Meinrad became a full-time permanent member of the Burgtheater company and was part of that ensemble until his 65th birthday in 1978; he played 195 roles on that stage.
Meinrad was the keeper of the Iffland-Ring
Iffland-Ring
The Iffland-Ring is a diamond-studded ring with the picture of August Wilhelm Iffland ....
, which for 200 years has been given to the most important actor of the German speaking theatre; he passed the ring on to Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...
.
From 1950 until his death he was married to Germaine Renée Clement, who died in 2006. Meinrad died in 1996 from cancer, aged 82, in Großgmain
Großgmain
Großgmain is a municipality in the district of Salzburg-Umgebung in the state of Salzburg in Austria.-References:...
and is buried there.
Films
- Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt, 1947
- Der ProzeßThe Trial (1948 film)The Trial is a 1948 Austrian drama film directed by Georg Wilhelm Pabst. At the 1948 Venice Film Festival, Pabst won the Award for Best Director; Ernst Deutsch won the award for Best Actor and the Volpi Cup. The story is based on the events of the Tiszaeszlár blood libel.-Cast:* Ewald Balser – Dr....
, 1948 (see: Tiszaeszlár blood libelTiszaeszlár blood libelThe Tiszaeszlár Affair, was an accusation of ritual murder against Jews in Hungary, which led to a trial that set off anti-semitic agitation in 1882 and 1883.-Origin of the accusation:...
) - Rendezvous im SalzkammergutSalzkammergutThe Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
, 1948 - Das Siegel Gottes, 1949
- Prämien auf den Tod, 1950
- Jetzt schlägt's 13, 1950
- Erzherzog Johanns große Liebe, 1950
- Der Verschwender, 1953
- Weg in die Vergangenheit, 1954
- SissiSissi (film)Sissi is a 1955 film directed by Ernst Marischka and starring Romy Schneider, Karlheinz Böhm, Magda Schneider, Uta Franz, Gustav Knuth, Vilma Degischer and Josef Meinrad. It is the first of a trilogy of romantic films about the Empress of Austria, Elisabeth of Bavaria, who was known to her family...
, 1955 - Um Thron und LiebeUm Thron und LiebeUm Thron und Liebe is a 1955 German drama film directed by Fritz Kortner and starring Luise Ullrich.-Cast:* Luise Ullrich - Herzogin Sphie Hohenberg* Ewald Balser - Erzherzog Franz Ferdinand* Franz Stoss - Potiorek* Eva Maria Senft...
, 1955 - Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, 1955 - Die Deutschmeister, 1955
- Der Kongreß tanzt, 1956
- Opernball, 1956
- Sissi – Die junge Kaiserin, 1956
- Die Trapp-FamilieThe Trapp FamilyThe Trapp Family is a 1956 West German film. It is one of the most successful German films of the 1950s. Directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner, the film is based on Maria von Trapp's memoir, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
, 1956 (cf. The Sound of MusicThe Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music is a musical by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp, The Story of the Trapp Family Singers...
) - August, der Halbstarke, 1957
- Familie Schimek, 1957
- Sissi – Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin, 1957
- Die HalbzarteEva (1958 film)Eva is a 1958 Austrian comedy film directed by Rolf Thiele. It was entered into the 1959 Cannes Film Festival.-Cast:* Romy Schneider - Nicole* Carlos Thompson - Irving* Magda Schneider - Dassou* Gertraud Jesserer - Brigitte* Alfred Costas - Thomas...
, 1958 - Solang' die Sterne glüh'n, 1958,
- Die Trapp-Familie in Amerika, 1958
- Die schöne Lügnerin, 1959
- Bezaubernde Arabella, 1959
- Der Bauer als Millionär, 1961
- Napoléon II l'AiglonNapoléon II l'AiglonNapoléon II l'Aiglon is a French drama film from 1961, directed by Claude Boissol, written by Paul Andréota, starring Bernard Verley and Jean Marais. The scenario was based on a novel of André Castelot...
, 1961 - The CardinalThe CardinalThe Cardinal is a 1963 film which was produced independently and directed by Otto Preminger, and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by Henry Morton Robinson....
, 1963 - Der Verschwender, 1963
- Liliom, 1963
- Don Quijote, 1965
- Man of La ManchaMan of La Mancha (film)Man of La Mancha is a 1972 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion...
, 1972 - Was ihr wollt, 1973
- Der Räuber Hotzenplotz, 1974
- Die schöne HelenaLa belle HélèneLa belle Hélène , opéra bouffe in three acts, is an operetta by Jacques Offenbach to an original French libretto by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy...
, 1974 - Gaslicht, 1977
- Ringstraßenpalais, 1980,
- Die FledermausDie FledermausDie Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
, 1984 - Der Unbestechliche, 1984
- Der Vorhang fällt, 1988
He also appeared twice in the German TV series, Der Kommissar.