Csokor, Franz Theodor

DRAMATIST (AUSTRIA)
BORN 6 Sep 1885, Wien - DIED 5 Jan 1969, Wien
GRAVE LOCATION Wien: Zentralfriedhof, Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234, Simmering (Gruppe 32 C, nummer 55)

Franz Theodor Csokor was the son of a Viennese professor. He studied art history, but he never graduated. As early as 1905 he published his first work and in 1912 his play "Eine Partie Schach" ("A Chess Game") was successfully produced in Hungarian in Budapest. Later it was renamed to "Thermidor". In 1913 he went to St. Petersburg with the actress Ida Orloff and her ensemble.

During the First World War he was a soldier, but later he worked for War Archives of the Austrian Empire (His older brother Hans was killed in Russia). During this period he wrote several expressionist poems. After the war he worked as a dramatist and as a director in Vienna. He was shocked when Hitler came to power in Germany in 1933 and swore he wouldn't set foot on German ground as long as the Third Reich lasted.

He wrote a novel, "Der Schlüssel zum Abgrund" and in 1937 his play "3. November 1918" was staged at the Burgtheater in Vienna. It was about the fall of the Austrian Empire and an instant success. When the nazis entered Austria he said goodbye to his close friend Ödön von Horvath and fled to Poland. When that country was invaded he moved to Romania, then to Serbia and finally to the island Korcula. After the war he returned to Vienna in a British uniform. He wrote many more plays and continued working until his death in 1969.

Related persons
• corresponded with Ambrosi, Gustinus
• was a friend of Horváth, Ödön von
• was a friend of Loos, Lina
• cooperated with Orloff, Ida
• was a friend of Rüther, Leopoldine
• was a friend of Wildgans, Anton

Events
29/12/1913Ida Orloff's theatre group performs Csokor's "Feuer" in Mödling [Orloff, Ida]

Images

The grave of Franz Theodor Csoker at the Zentralfriedhof, Vienna.
Picture by Androom (20 Aug 2007)

 

Sources
• Budig, Robert S. et al, Ehrengräber am Wiener Zentralfriedhof, Compress Verlag Wien, Wien
F. Th. Csokor - Lebenslauf


Csontváry Kosztka, Tivadar

Published: 14 Sep 2007
Last update: 11 Feb 2022