Theater legend Klaus Peymann died at the age of 88 - a life for the stage!
Theater legend Klaus Peymann died at the age of 88 - a life for the stage!
Berlin-Köpenick, Deutschland - With a painful loss for the theater world, we have to say goodbye to Klaus Peymann today. The former director of the Burgtheater died in Berlin-Köpenick at the age of 88, where he recently lived with his partner Jutta Ferbers. Peymann leaves a legacy that has shaped the German -speaking theater landscape. His path to the top of the theater work began in 1966 at the Theater am Turm in Frankfurt, and soon his name was associated with significant productions.
Peymann was born in Bremen on June 7, 1937 and graduated from high school in Hamburg in 1956. Already during his studies in German studies, literary and theater studies at the University of Hamburg, he discovered his passion for the theater, which he cultivated through his directorial work at the University Theater. He celebrated his international breakthrough in 1970 with the premiere of Thomas Bernhard's first play "A Feast for Boris".
theater visionary and scandal magnet
In the course of his career, Klaus Peymann always looked for the new, the unconventional. He was a co -founder of the new Schaubühne in Berlin and led the fortunes of the Schauspielhaus Bochum from 1974 to 1979. His productions, which often contained contemporary works by authors such as Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek, made Bochum one of the best theater in Germany. His decision to dismiss 44 employees in Bochum caused plenty of conversation and showed how controversial his way was to live artistic freedom.From 1986 to 1999, Peymann was director of the Burgtheater, where he lit a real firework of 252 premieres, including 51 premieres. The premiere of Bernhard's "Heldenplatz" in 1988 in particular remains an unforgettable, controversial chapter in theater history. Despite these achievements, he waived the Nestroy Theater Prize for his life's work due to political controversy in 2002.
a life for the theater
Klaus Peymann understood Theater as a means of improvement in the world and was not afraid to actively interfere in public debates. Even after his retirement announcement, he continued to stage pieces, most recently in 2023 Beckett's "Waiting for Godot". His motto of life was clear: theater should not only entertain, but also provoke and stimulate thought.
In 2012, he was appointed an honorary member of the Burgtheater. Even beyond his term, his influence remained noticeable, not only through the pieces he staged, but also by the theater makers that he brought to Vienna. Peymann continued for many long traditions and brought a breath of fresh wind to stage art.
his retrospective life's work remains an imperishable testimony of his work and deep commitment to the theater. A glamorous life is coming to an end, but Klaus Peymann's influence will live on in the hard texts and passionate productions that he created. The theater community is saying goodbye to a great visionary and a man who was always ready to postpone the limits of the possible.
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| Ort | Berlin-Köpenick, Deutschland |
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