Paul Hörbiger
Encyclopedia
Paul Hörbiger was an Austrian
theatre and film actor.
, the son of Hans Hörbiger
, an engineer who wrote Welteislehre
on glacial cosmology, and elder brother of actor Attila Hörbiger
. In 1902 the family returned to Vienna
, while Paul attended the famous gymnasium (secondary school) at St. Paul's Abbey in the Lavanttal
. In World War I
he served in a mountain artillery regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army
, discharged in 1918 with the rank of an Oberleutnant
.
Paul Hörbiger started his acting career in 1919 at the city theatre of Liberec
(Reichenberg) and from 1920 performed at the New German Theatre
in Prague
. In 1926 his fame grew after he was employed by Max Reinhardt
at the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater
in Berlin
, reaching a high point with his appointment at the Vienna Burgtheater
in 1940.
In 1921 he married the actress Josepha Gettke with whom he had four children. The actors Christian Tramitz
and Mavie Hörbiger are grandchildren of Paul Hörbiger.
From 1928 he appeared in more than 250 films, mostly lightweight comedies of the Wiener Film
genre popular among German and Austrian audiences during the 1930s and 40s. In 1936 he established his own filming company Algefa jointly with director E. W. Emo
. Though in 1938 he had openly acclaimed the Austrian Anschluss
to Nazi Germany
and smoothly continued his career in propaganda films like Wunschkonzert
or Die grosse Liebe, he was arrested for treason in the late days of World War II
.
After the war he remained one of the most popular German-speaking film actors in numerous Heimatfilm
e, again performing as the warm-hearted Viennese type and Heurigen singer, often together with Hans Moser
and director Franz Antel
. In his later years he again concentrated on theatre acting at the Burgtheater.
Hörbiger died in Vienna aged 86 and is buried in an Ehrengrab
at the Vienna Zentralfriedhof
.
Austrians
Austrians are a nation and ethnic group, consisting of the population of the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states who share a common Austrian culture and Austrian descent....
theatre and film actor.
Life and work
Paul Hörbiger was born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, the son of Hans Hörbiger
Hans Hörbiger
Hanns Hörbiger was an Austrian engineer from Vienna with roots in Tyrol. He took part in the construction of the Budapest subway and in 1894 invented a new type of valve essential for compressors still in widespread use today.He is also remembered today for his pseudoscientific Welteislehre ...
, an engineer who wrote Welteislehre
Welteislehre
Welteislehre , also known as Glazial-Kosmogonie is a pseudoscientific cosmological theory proposed by Hans Hörbiger, an Austrian engineer and inventor and respected steam engine designer, whose invention of the Hörbiger valve made him a wealthy man.Hörbiger did not arrive at his theory through...
on glacial cosmology, and elder brother of actor Attila Hörbiger
Attila Hörbiger
Attila Hörbiger was an Austrian stage and movie actor.Hörbiger was born in Budapest, then Austria–Hungary, the son of engineer Hanns Hörbiger and younger brother of actor Paul Hörbiger...
. In 1902 the family returned to 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...
, while Paul attended the famous gymnasium (secondary school) at St. Paul's Abbey in the Lavanttal
St. Paul's Abbey in the Lavanttal
St. Paul's Abbey in the Lavanttal is a Benedictine monastery in the village of Sankt Paul im Lavanttal in the Austrian state of Carinthia.-History:...
. In World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
he served in a mountain artillery regiment of the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
, discharged in 1918 with the rank of an Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
.
Paul Hörbiger started his acting career in 1919 at the city theatre of Liberec
Liberec
Liberec is a city in the Czech Republic. Located on the Lusatian Neisse and surrounded by the Jizera Mountains and Ještěd-Kozákov Ridge, it is the fifth-largest city in the Czech Republic....
(Reichenberg) and from 1920 performed at the New German Theatre
Prague State Opera
The Prague State Opera , is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre....
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. In 1926 his fame grew after he was employed by Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
at the ensemble of the Deutsches Theater
Deutsches Theater
The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is a well-known German theatre. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street , the Deutsches Theater consists of two adjoining stages that share a common, classical facade...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, reaching a high point with his appointment at the Vienna 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 1940.
In 1921 he married the actress Josepha Gettke with whom he had four children. The actors Christian Tramitz
Christian Tramitz
Christian Tramitz is a German actor, comedian, voice actor and author.- Life :Christian Tramitz is the grandson of Austrian actor Paul Hörbiger and nephew of actress Christiane Hörbiger. His parents are film producer Rudolf Tramitz and Monica, née Hörbiger...
and Mavie Hörbiger are grandchildren of Paul Hörbiger.
From 1928 he appeared in more than 250 films, mostly lightweight comedies of the Wiener Film
Wiener Film
Wiener Film is an Austrian film genre, consisting of a combination of comedy, romance and melodrama in an historical setting, mostly, and typically, the Vienna of the late 19th and early 20th centuries...
genre popular among German and Austrian audiences during the 1930s and 40s. In 1936 he established his own filming company Algefa jointly with director E. W. Emo
E. W. Emo
E. W. Emo was an Austrian film director, specialising in comedies, 21 of them with the actor Hans Moser. He also worked outside Austria and wrote some screenplays....
. Though in 1938 he had openly acclaimed the Austrian Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and smoothly continued his career in propaganda films like Wunschkonzert
Wunschkonzert
Wunschkonzert is a 1940 German drama propaganda film by Eduard von Borsody. After Die grosse Liebe, it was the most popular film of wartime Germany, reaching the second highest gross.-Background:...
or Die grosse Liebe, he was arrested for treason in the late days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
After the war he remained one of the most popular German-speaking film actors in numerous Heimatfilm
Heimatfilm
Heimatfilm is the name given to a film genre that was popular in Germany, Switzerland and Austria from the late 40s to the early 70s. They were usually shot in the Alps, the Black Forest or the Lüneburg Heath and always involved the outdoors...
e, again performing as the warm-hearted Viennese type and Heurigen singer, often together with Hans Moser
Hans Moser (actor)
Hans Moser was an Austrian actor who, during his long career, from the 1920s up to his death, mainly played in comedy films. He was particularly associated with the genre of the Wiener Film...
and director Franz Antel
Franz Antel
Franz Antel was a veteran Austrian filmmaker.Born in Vienna, Antel worked mainly as a film producer in the interwar years. After World War II, he began writing and directing films on a large scale...
. In his later years he again concentrated on theatre acting at the Burgtheater.
Hörbiger died in Vienna aged 86 and is buried in an Ehrengrab
Ehrengrab
An Ehrengrab is a distinction granted by certain German, Swiss and Austrian cities to one of their citizens for extraordinary services or achievements in their lifetime. If there are no descendants or institutions to care for the gravesite, the communities or cities will take responsibility for...
at the Vienna Zentralfriedhof
Zentralfriedhof
The Zentralfriedhof is one of the largest cemeteries in the world, largest by number of interred in Europe and most famous cemetery among Vienna's nearly 50 cemeteries.-Name and location:...
.
Selected filmography
- The Gallant HussarThe Gallant HussarThe Gallant Hussar is a 1928 German-British historical drama film directed by Géza von Bolváry and starring Ivor Novello, Evelyn Holt and Paul Hörbiger...
(1928) - SpioneSpioneSpione is a German silent espionage thriller written and directed by Fritz Lang in 1928. Lang's wife, Thea von Harbou, worked as a co-writer. The film was Lang's penultimate silent film, and the first for his own production company; Fritz Lang-film GmbH. As in Lang's Mabuse films, such as Dr...
(1928), directed by Fritz LangFritz LangFriedrich Christian Anton "Fritz" Lang was an Austrian-American filmmaker, screenwriter, and occasional film producer and actor. One of the best known émigrés from Germany's school of Expressionism, he was dubbed the "Master of Darkness" by the British Film Institute... - The SqueakerThe Squeaker (1931 film)The Squeaker is a 1931 German drama film directed by Martin Frič and Karel Lamač.-Cast:* Lissy Arna as Lillie / Millie Trent * Karl Ludwig Diehl as Captain Leslie * Fritz Rasp as Frank Sutton...
(1931) - Der Kongreß tanztDer Kongreß tanztDer Kongress tanzt is a Germany musical comedy film produced in 1931 by Ufa, directed by Erik Charell, starring Lilian Harvey as Christel Weinzinger, the glove seller, Willy Fritsch as Tsar Alexander I of Russia and his doppelgänger, Uralsky, Otto Wallburg as Bibikoff, his Adjutant, Conrad Veidt...
(1931) - LiebeleiLiebelei (film)Liebelei is a German film directed by Max Ophüls. The film, based on a play of the same name by Arthur Schnitzler, describes an ill-fated love affair.-Plot:...
(1933), directed by Max OphülsMax OphülsMaximillian Oppenheimer — known as Max Ophüls — was an influential German-born film director who worked in Germany , France , the United States , and France again... - Die CsárdásfürstinDie CsárdásfürstinDie Csárdásfürstin or A Csárdáskirálynő is an operetta in 3 acts by Hungarian composer Emmerich Kalman, libretto by Leo Stein and B. Jenbach. It premiered in Vienna at the Johann Strauss Theater, 17 November 1915. Numerous film versions and recordings have been made...
(1934) - FlorentineFlorentine (film)Florentine is a 1937 Austrian comedy film directed by Karel Lamac and starring Paul Hörbiger, Geraldine Kate, Hans Holt and Rudolf Carl....
(1937) - Opernball (1939)
- WunschkonzertWunschkonzertWunschkonzert is a 1940 German drama propaganda film by Eduard von Borsody. After Die grosse Liebe, it was the most popular film of wartime Germany, reaching the second highest gross.-Background:...
(1940), as himself - Die grosse Liebe (1942)
- The Third ManThe Third ManThe Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
(1949) - 1. April 2000 (1952)
- Die PrivatsekretärinDie Privatsekretärin (1953 film)Die Privatsekretärin is a 1953 German comedy film directed by Paul Martin and starring Sonja Ziemann, Rudolf Prack and Paul Hörbiger. It was a remake of the 1931 German film Die Privatsekretärin.-Cast:* Sonja Ziemann - Gerda Weber...
(1953) - Charley's AuntCharley's Aunt (1956 film)Charley's Aunt is a 1956 West German comedy film directed by Hans Quest and starring Heinz Rühmann, Hertha Feiler and Claus Biederstaedt. It is an adaptation of the British play Charley's Aunt by Brandon Thomas.-Cast:...
(1956) - Sebastian KneippSebastian Kneipp (film)Sebastian Kneipp is a 1958 Austrian historical film directed by Wolfgang Liebeneiner and starring Carl Wery, Paul Hörbiger and Gerlinde Locker. It is also sometimes known as Wasserdoktor. The film is a biopic of the Bavarian Sebastian Kneipp one of the pioneers of Naturopathic medicine.-Cast:* Carl...
(1958) - I Learned It from FatherI Learned It from FatherI Learned It from Father is a 1964 German comedy film directed by Axel von Ambesser and starring Willy Fritsch, Thomas Fritsch and Gertraud Jesserer. The son of a respectable industrialist leads a wild second life.-Cast:* Willy Fritsch ... Clemens Andermann* Thomas Fritsch ... Andreas Andermann*...
(1964)
Awards
- Decoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaDecoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaThe Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria...
(1964) - Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, First Class (1974)