Josef Meinrad (; 21 April 1913 – 18 February 1996) was an Austrian actor. From 1959 until his death in 1996, Meinrad held the Republic of Austria's

Iffland-Ring The Iffland-Ring is a diamond-studded finger ring, ring with a picture of August Wilhelm Iffland, a prominent German actor, dramatist and theatre director of the late 18th and early 19th century, who played in works of contemporary writers Goeth ...

, which passes from actor to actor — each bequeathing the ring to the next holder, judging that actor to be the "most significant and most worthy actor of the German-speaking theatre".

Life

Josef Meinrad was born Josef Moučka in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, as the fourth and youngest child of the

tram A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which Rolling stock, vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some ...

driver Franz Moučka and his second wife Katharina. For his secondary education, he received a scholarship in a school run by

Redemptorists The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scala ...

in Katzelsdorf near

Wiener Neustadt Wiener Neustadt (; Lower_Austria.html" ;"title=".e. Lower Austria">.e. Lower Austria , ) is a city located south of Vienna, in the state of Lower Austria, in northeast Austria. It is a self-governed city and the seat of the district administr ...

. At first, he wanted to become a priest, but he left the boarding school in 1929 and began a commercial apprenticeship, while taking acting lessons. He made his public acting debut during a theatre festival at Korneuburg in 1930, by which time he called himself Josef Meinrad. Nevertheless, he finished his training and worked as a commercial clerk until 1935. From that time on, he performed on various smaller stages, passing his acting exam in 1937. His first brief engagement at the Vienna

Burgtheater The Burgtheater (; literally: "Castle Theater" but alternatively translated as "(Imperial) Court Theater", originally known as '' K.K. Theater an der Burg'', then until 1918 as the ''K.K. Hofburgtheater'', is the national theater of Austria in ...

was in 1939, he then played at the German Theatre in

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

, mainly in front of ''

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

'' soldiers. After the war, Meinrad again performed in Vienna. At the

Salzburg Festival The Salzburg Festival () is a prominent festival of music and drama established in 1920. It is held each summer, for five weeks starting in late July, in Salzburg, Austria, the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart's operas are a focus of ...

in 1947 he appeared in '' Jedermann''. 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 and was famous for his performances in comedies by Johann Nestroy and Ferdinand Raimund. In 1968 he played the title role in the German-language premiere of

Dale Wasserman Dale Wasserman (November 2, 1914 – December 21, 2008) was an American playwright, perhaps best known for his 1965 book, ''Man of La Mancha''. Early life Dale Wasserman was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, the child of Russian Jewish immigr ...

's musical ''

Man of La Mancha ''Man of La Mancha'' is a 1965 musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay '' I, Don Quixote'', which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervan ...

'' at the

Theater an der Wien The is a historic theatre in Vienna located on the Left Wienzeile in the Mariahilf district. Completed in 1801, the theatre has hosted the premieres of many celebrated works of theatre, opera, and symphonic music. Since 2006, it has served prim ...

. He also appeared in several Films and TV series, chiefly known for his role as an adjutant in the '' Sissi'' trilogy starring

Romy Schneider Rosemarie Magdalena Albach (23 September 1938 – 29 May 1982), known professionally as Romy Schneider (), was a German and French actress. She is regarded as one of the greatest screen actresses of all time and became a cult figure due to ...

. Meinrad was the keeper of the

, 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 (; 22 March 1941 – 16 February 2019) was a Swiss actor whose career in German stage, television and film productions spanned nearly 60 years. He was known for his collaborations with the directors Werner Herzog, Éric Rohmer, Franc ...

. 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.

Honours and awards

* 1955: Appointed Kammerschauspieler * 1959: Received the

* 1961: Blue Ribbon Award from the National Council Screen * 1963: Kainz Medal * 1963:

Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class The Austrian Decoration for Science and Art () is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria and forms part of the Austrian national honours system. History The "Austrian Decoration for Science and Art" was established by the National C ...

* 1973: Honorary Member of the Vienna Burgtheater * 1980: Honorary Ring of the city of Bregenz * 1983: Raymund Ring of the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture * 1983: Honorary Ring of the Vienna * 1985: Nestroy Ring * 1997: Josef Meinrad-Platz near the Vienna Burgtheater

Films

* ' (1947) as Agha * ''Triumph der Liebe'' (1947) as Kinesias * ''

The Trial ''The Trial'' () is a novel written by Franz Kafka in 1914 and 1915 and published posthumously on 26 April 1925. One of his best-known works, it tells the story of Josef K., a man arrested and prosecuted by a remote, inaccessible authority, wi ...

'' (1948, about the Tiszaeszlár affair) as Bary, investigating judge * ''Rendezvous im

Salzkammergut The Salzkammergut (, ; ) is a resort area in Austria, stretching from the city of Salzburg eastwards along the Alpine Foreland and the Northern Limestone Alps to the peaks of the Dachstein Mountains. The main river of the region is the Traun (r ...

'' (1948) as Peter Baumkirchner * '' Anni'' (1948) as Heinrich Buchgraber * '' Fregola'' (1948) as Dr. Wegscheider * ''Das Siegel Gottes'' (1949) as Father Clemens * '' Nothing But Coincidence'' (1949) as Willy Wendel * ''Mein Freund, der nicht nein sagen konnte'' (1949) as Dr. Leopold Bachmann * '' Bonus on Death'' (1950) as Seaman Matrose * '' Theodore the Goalkeeper'' (1950) as Theo Haslinger Jr. * ' (1950) as Dr. Mario Jaconis * '' Archduke Johann's Great Love'' (1950) as A friend of

Archduke Johann Archduke John of Austria (, ; (or simply ''Nadvojvoda Janez''); 20 January 1782 – 11 May 1859), a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, was an Austrian field marshal and imperial regent (''Reichsverweser'') of the short-lived German Emp ...

* ''Der Wallnerbub'' (1950) as Karl * '' Love and Blood'' (1951) as Otto Schulz * '' Shadows Over Naples'' (1951) as Otto Schulz * ''Eva erbt das Paradies... ein Abenteuer im Salzkammergut'' (1951) as Hans Holzinger * ''

The Colourful Dream ''The Colourful Dream'' () is a 1952 West German Musical film, musical comedy film directed by Géza von Cziffra and starring Vera Molnar (actress), Vera Molnar, Josef Meinrad and Ursula Grabley. It was made at the Tempelhof Studios in Berlin wit ...

'' (1952) as Tobby Busch * '' 1. April 2000'' (1952) as Prime Minister of Austria * ' (1953) as Rolf Reimann * '' The Spendthrift'' (1953) as Valentin * '' Money from the Air'' (1954) as Stefan Gregor * ''Kaisermanöver'' (1954) as Wondrasch * '' Walking Back into the Past'' (1954) as Franz Nägele * ''Die Deutschmeister'' (1955) as Hofrat Hofwirt * ''

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

'' (1955) as Leporello * '' His Daughter is Called Peter'' (1955) as Dr. Felix Weininger * ''

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

'' (1955) as Chauffeur * '' The Congress Dances'' (1955) as Franzl Eder * '' Sissi'' (1955) as Major Böckl * ''Ein tolles Hotel'' (1956) as Edi Schlawinsky * '' Opera Ball'' (1956) as Paul Hollinger * '' Die Trapp-Familie'' (1956, cf. ''

The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...

'') as Dr. Franz Wasner * '' Sissi – Die junge Kaiserin'' (1956) as Major Böckl * ''August, der Halbstarke'' (1957) as August Rums, genannt Gustl, Boxer * '' The Schimeck Family'' (1957) as Baumann * '' The Unexcused Hour'' (1957) as Fabian * '' Goodbye, Franziska'' (1957) as Dr. Leitner * '' Sissi – Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin'' (1957) as Lieutenant Colonel Böckl * ''Man ist nur zweimal jung'' (1958) * ''Solang' die Sterne glüh'n'' (1958) as Karl Eibisch * '' The Trapp Family in America'' (1958) as Dr. Franz Wasner * ' (1959) as Ferdinand Windberger - Legationsrat * '' Eva'' (1959) as Mr. Dassau * ' (1959) as Baron Hager * '' Adorable Arabella'' (1959) as Archibald Duncan * '' Napoleon II, the Eagle'' (1961) as Emperor Francis II * ''Der Bauer als Millionär'' (1961) as Fortunatus Wurzel * ''Liliom'' (1963, TV movie based on ''

Liliom ''Liliom'' is a 1909 play by the Hungarian playwright Ferenc Molnár. It was well known in its own right during the early to mid-20th century, but is best known today as the basis for the Rodgers and Hammerstein 1945 musical ''Carousel''. P ...

'') as Liliom * ''

The Cardinal ''The Cardinal'' is a 1963 American drama film produced independently, directed by Otto Preminger and distributed by Columbia Pictures. The screenplay was written by Robert Dozier, based on the novel by the same by Henry Morton Robinson. The ...

'' (1963) as Cardinal Innitzer * '' The Spendthrift'' (1964) as Valentin * ' (1965, TV miniseries based on ''

Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

'') as Don Quixote * ''

Father Brown Father Brown is a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective. He is featured in 53 short stories by English author G. K. Chesterton, published between 1910 and 1936. Father Brown solves mysteries and crimes using his intuition and ...

'' (1966–1972, TV series) as

* ' (1967, TV Mini-Series) as Gaston * ''Was ihr wollt'' (1973, TV movie based on ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night, or What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Viola an ...

'') as Malvolio * ' (1974) as Magician Petrosilius Zwackelmann * ''Die schöne Helena'' (1974, TV movie based on ''

La belle Hélène ''La belle Hélène'' (, ''The Beautiful Helen'') is an opéra bouffe in three acts, with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy. The piece parodies the story of Helen of Troy's elopement with Paris (mythology ...

'') as

Menelaus In Greek mythology, Menelaus (; ) was a Greek king of Mycenaean (pre- Dorian) Sparta. According to the ''Iliad'', the Trojan war began as a result of Menelaus's wife, Helen, fleeing to Troy with the Trojan prince Paris. Menelaus was a central ...

* ''Gaslicht'' (1977, TV movie based on '' Gaslight'') as Jack Manningham * ''Es war einmal der Mensch'' (1978, TV Series) as Narrator (German version, voice) * '' Ringstraßenpalais'' (1983, TV Series) as Emil Hoffeneder * '' Waldheimat'' (1984, TV Series) as Pfarrer * ''Die Fledermaus'' (1984, TV movie based on ''

Die Fledermaus ' (, ''The Bat'', sometimes called ''The Revenge of the Bat'') is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée, which premiered in 1874. Background The original literary source for ' was ...

'') as Frosch * '' Der Sonne entgegen'' (1985, TV Series) as Luca * ''Der Unbestechliche'' (1986, TV movie) as Theodor * ''Der Vorhang fällt'' (1986, TV movie) as Jakob * '' Herschel und die Musik der Sterne'' (1986, TV movie) as

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

He appeared twice in the German TV series, '' Der Kommissar''.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meinrad, Josef 1913 births 1996 deaths Austrian male stage actors Austrian male voice actors Iffland-Ring Austrian people of Czech descent Male actors from Vienna Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class Austrian male film actors Austrian male television actors 20th-century Austrian male actors Deaths from cancer in Austria