Hugo Thimig
Encyclopedia
Hugo August Thimig although born in Germany
, spent his working life in Austria
as an actor
, director, and director of the Burgtheater
in Vienna
.
's most famous theatrical families, but was born in Dresden
, the son of a shoemaker. He worked in a grocery and attended a trade school before making several appearances on stage as an amateur in his home town. He made his professional debut in October 1872 in the town theatre of Bautzen
. Within only two years, via the theatres in Zittau
, Kamenz
and Freiberg, Saxony
, and the Lobe-Theater in Breslau, he obtained an engagement at the Burgtheater
, and arrived in Vienna in 1874 to take it up. A week before his 20th birthday he gave his first performance there as Didier in Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer
's Die Grille.
Thimig began as a "shy lover", but soon developed into both comic and serious character roles, and his career soon took off. As early as 1881 he was appointed Hofrat, in 1897 he directed his first play, and from 1912 to 1917 he was also director of the Burgtheater, from which he had long since obtained a contract for life plus entitlement to a pension.
After his retirement in 1924 at the age of seventy he moved to the Theater in der Josefstadt
, run by his future son-in-law Max Reinhardt
, where he stayed until 1933, when he finally withdrew into private life, aged almost 80. The Theater in der Josefstadt was known in Vienna in the 1920s as the "Thimig Theatre", as besides the father, his three acting children were also engaged there: Helene Thimig, at first the partner and later the wife of Reinhardt, and her younger brother Hermann Thimig
. The youngest of the three, Hans Thimig
, joined them a little later. The entire family from then on worked in either the Burgtheater or the Theater in der Josefstadt.
Thimig was a passionate collector of theatrical items and memorabilia. His collection of documents and objects formed the basis of the collections of the Austrian Theatre Museum
in the Palais Lobkowitz
in Vienna.
His grave is in the Sievering Cemetery
in the 19th district of Vienna, next to that of his wife Franziska (née Hummel; 1867–1944).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, spent his working life in Austria
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...
as an 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...
, director, and director of 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...
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...
.
Biography
Thimig was the founding father of one of AustriaAustria
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...
's most famous theatrical families, but was born in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
, the son of a shoemaker. He worked in a grocery and attended a trade school before making several appearances on stage as an amateur in his home town. He made his professional debut in October 1872 in the town theatre of Bautzen
Bautzen
Bautzen is a hill-top town in eastern Saxony, Germany, and administrative centre of the eponymous district. It is located on the Spree River. As of 2008, its population is 41,161...
. Within only two years, via the theatres in Zittau
Zittau
Zittau is a city in the south east of the Free State of Saxony, Germany, close to the border tripoint of Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic. , there are 28,638 people in the city. It is part of the Görlitz district....
, Kamenz
Kamenz
Kamenz is a Lusatian town in eastern Saxony, Germany, with a population of 18,243, and is part of the Bautzen district. The town is located about northeast of Dresden and about northwest of Bautzen....
and Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg, Saxony
Freiberg is a city in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, administrative center of the Mittelsachsen district.-History:The city was founded in 1186, and has been a center of the mining industry in the Ore Mountains for centuries...
, and the Lobe-Theater in Breslau, he obtained an 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...
, and arrived in Vienna in 1874 to take it up. A week before his 20th birthday he gave his first performance there as Didier in Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer
Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer
Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer was a German actress and writer.She was the daughter of an estate agent named Pfeiffer. She received her early training at the Munich court theatre, and in 1818 began to play leading tragic roles at various theatres...
's Die Grille.
Thimig began as a "shy lover", but soon developed into both comic and serious character roles, and his career soon took off. As early as 1881 he was appointed Hofrat, in 1897 he directed his first play, and from 1912 to 1917 he was also director of the Burgtheater, from which he had long since obtained a contract for life plus entitlement to a pension.
After his retirement in 1924 at the age of seventy he moved to the Theater in der Josefstadt
Theater in der Josefstadt
The Theater in der Josefstadt is a theater in Vienna in the eighth district of Josefstadt. It was founded in 1788 and is the oldest still performing theater in Vienna...
, run by his future son-in-law Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
, where he stayed until 1933, when he finally withdrew into private life, aged almost 80. The Theater in der Josefstadt was known in Vienna in the 1920s as the "Thimig Theatre", as besides the father, his three acting children were also engaged there: Helene Thimig, at first the partner and later the wife of Reinhardt, and her younger brother Hermann Thimig
Hermann Thimig
Hermann Thimig was an Austrian film actor. He appeared in 102 films between 1916 and 1967.His father Hugo Thimig was a stage actor and his sister Helene was a stage actress. Thimig began his professional career in 1910 at the Hoftheater in Meiningen till the First World War...
. The youngest of the three, Hans Thimig
Hans Thimig
Hans Emil Thimig, pseudonym: Hans Werner was an Austrian actor, film director and stage director.- Life :...
, joined them a little later. The entire family from then on worked in either the Burgtheater or the Theater in der Josefstadt.
Thimig was a passionate collector of theatrical items and memorabilia. His collection of documents and objects formed the basis of the collections of the Austrian Theatre Museum
Austrian Theatre Museum
The Austrian Theatre Museum, or Österreichisches Theatermuseum, is the national museum of theatre history in Austria. It is situated in the Palais Lobkowitz in Vienna.-History:...
in the Palais Lobkowitz
Palais Lobkowitz
Palais Lobkowitz, or Palais Dietrichstein-Lobkowitz, is a Baroque palace in Vienna, Austria. It was owned by the noble Lobkowitz family.Today it houses the theatre museum of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.- History :...
in Vienna.
His grave is in the Sievering Cemetery
Sievering
Sievering is a suburb of Vienna and part of Döbling, the 19th district of Vienna. Sievering was created in 1892 out of the two erstwhile independent suburbs Untersievering and Obersievering. These still exist as Katastralgemeinden.- Geography :...
in the 19th district of Vienna, next to that of his wife Franziska (née Hummel; 1867–1944).
Distinctions
- 1942: Goethe-Medaille für Kunst und WissenschaftGoethe-Medaille für Kunst und WissenschaftThe Goethe-Medaille für Kunst und Wissenschaft was a German award. It was authorized by Reichspresident Paul von Hindenburg to commemorate the centenary of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's death on March 22, 1932...
, awarded by Adolf HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945... - 1944: Ring of Honour of the City of Vienna (Ehrenring der Stadt Wien)
- A street - Thimiggasse - is named after Hugo Thimig in WähringWähringWähring is the 18th district of Vienna, Austria. It is in the northwest part of the city. In addition to currently hosting a number of Vienna's foreign embassies, Währing was the site of the original burial places of composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert.-Location:Währing lies in the...
, the 18th districtDistricts of ViennaThe districts of Vienna are 23 named city sections of Vienna, Austria, which are also numbered for easy reference. For centuries, district boundaries have changed...
of Vienna