Girardi, Alexander

ACTOR (AUSTRIA)
BORN 5 Dec 1850, Graz, Steiermark - DIED 20 Apr 1918, Wien
CAUSE OF DEATH arteriosclerosis and diabetes
GRAVE LOCATION Wien: Zentralfriedhof, Simmeringer Hauptstraße 234, Simmering (Gruppe 33 E, Reihe 09, Nummer 16)

Alexander Girardi was famous for his parts in plays by Ferdinand Raimund and in operettas by Strauss, Lehar and others. In 1871 he worked at the Strampfer Theatre and from 1874 until 1896 he was engaged at the Theater an der Wien. He was among the most popular men in Vienna and many people wore a so called Girardi hat.

In 1893 he married the popular actress Helene Odilon. The marriage was a disaster and at a certain time Odilon even managed to make the famous physician Julius Wagner-Jauregg sign an order to have Girardi locked up in an asylum. But Wagner-Jauregg hadn't even examined Girardi and the actor managed to escape this fate. In 1896 the marriage came to an end.

As an actor he also visited the stages of Hamburg, Berlin and Dresden. Two months before he died in 1918 he debuted at the Burgtheater in Vienna in Raimund's "The Farmer as Millionaire". His statue by Offo Hofner can be found at the Karlsplatz in Vienna.

Family
• Wife: Odilon, Helene (1893-1896)

Related persons
• performed with Biedermann, Therese
• helped Glawatsch, Franz
• has a connection with Grünfeld, Alfred
• was sculpted by Hofner, Otto
• cooperated with Niese, Hansi
• was a friend of Reininghaus, Hans von
• has a connection with Wagner-Jauregg, Julius

Events
6/12/1882Premiere of Millöcker's operetta "Der Bettelstudent" at the Theater an der Wien. The most prominent actors in the cast were Alexander Girardi and Felix Schweighofer. [Josephi, Joseph]

Images

The grave of Alexander Girardi at the Zentralfriedhof, Vienna.
Picture by Androom (25 Jan 1999)

 

The statue of Alexander Girardi by Otto Hofner at the Girardi park near the Karlsplatz in Vienna.
Picture by androom (15 Aug 2006)

 

The house in Graz where Alexander Girardi was born.
Picture by Androom (08 Aug 2018)

 

The house in Graz where Alexander Girardi was born.
Picture by Androom (08 Aug 2018)

 

Plaque for Alexander Girardi in Salzburg.
Picture by Androom (31 Aug 2022)

 

Sources
• Budig, Robert S. et al, Ehrengräber am Wiener Zentralfriedhof, Compress Verlag Wien, Wien
Alexander Girardi - Wikipedia (DE)


Girardin, Émile de

Published: 19 Dec 2008
Last update: 30 Sep 2022