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Bernhard, Thomas (1931-1989)
Copyright: IMAGNO/Sepp Dreissinger
Thomas Bernhard is born on 9 February 1931 in Kloster Heerlen (Netherlands). Bernhard spent much of his early childhood with his maternal grandparents in Vienna, Salzburg and Bavaria. Bernhard was greatly influenced by his grandfather, the author Johannes Freumbichler, who insisted on an artistic education for the boy. Due to a difficult lung disease, Bernhard spent the years 1949 to 1951 at the Grafenhof sanatorium. From 1955 to 1957 he studied music at the Salzburger Mozarteum and dramatic art in Vienna.
Bernhard published short prose pieces and continued with three volumes of poetry in 1957-58. His first novel, Frost (1963), was a long monologue of a medical student, who observes the fate of a doomed painter. In the mid 60ies Bernhard withdraws to a farmhouse in Upper Austria where he becomes a prolific writer. His novels are populated with physically and mentally defective characters, dim-witted peasants, criminals, hypocrites and philistines. Central and recurring themes include suicide, murder, suffering and misery but there are also tragicomic and grotesque elements.
Thomas Bernhard’s first major play “Ein Fest für Boris” was performed in Hamburg in 1970, directed by Claus Peymann. Within a short time he had established himself as playwright and became one of the most successful German-speaking dramatists. 18 of his plays premiered at celebrated German theaters. Many of his plays - above all Heldenplatz (1988) - were met with criticism from conservative circles, who claimed they dirtied Austria's reputation. Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square) was written to mark the 50th anniversary of Austria’s Anschluss with Germany and stages the return of a Jewish professor with his family to Vienna after the war.
Thomas Bernhard dies on 12 February 1989 in Gmunden (Upper Austria). In his testament he banned all performances of his works in Austria. Today Bernhard’s heirs however no longer have any interest in preventing Bernhard being published. Among Bernhard’s most important prose works are “Das Kalkwerk” (1970) and “Alte Meister” (1985). His dramas “Der Präsident" (1975), “Minetti” (1976), “Ritter, Dene, Voss” (1984) and "Der Theatermacher" (1985) rank among the most important German plays.
Thomas Bernhard Private Foundation
Bernhard published short prose pieces and continued with three volumes of poetry in 1957-58. His first novel, Frost (1963), was a long monologue of a medical student, who observes the fate of a doomed painter. In the mid 60ies Bernhard withdraws to a farmhouse in Upper Austria where he becomes a prolific writer. His novels are populated with physically and mentally defective characters, dim-witted peasants, criminals, hypocrites and philistines. Central and recurring themes include suicide, murder, suffering and misery but there are also tragicomic and grotesque elements.
Thomas Bernhard’s first major play “Ein Fest für Boris” was performed in Hamburg in 1970, directed by Claus Peymann. Within a short time he had established himself as playwright and became one of the most successful German-speaking dramatists. 18 of his plays premiered at celebrated German theaters. Many of his plays - above all Heldenplatz (1988) - were met with criticism from conservative circles, who claimed they dirtied Austria's reputation. Heldenplatz (Heroes’ Square) was written to mark the 50th anniversary of Austria’s Anschluss with Germany and stages the return of a Jewish professor with his family to Vienna after the war.
Thomas Bernhard dies on 12 February 1989 in Gmunden (Upper Austria). In his testament he banned all performances of his works in Austria. Today Bernhard’s heirs however no longer have any interest in preventing Bernhard being published. Among Bernhard’s most important prose works are “Das Kalkwerk” (1970) and “Alte Meister” (1985). His dramas “Der Präsident" (1975), “Minetti” (1976), “Ritter, Dene, Voss” (1984) and "Der Theatermacher" (1985) rank among the most important German plays.
Thomas Bernhard Private Foundation
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