Bahr, Hermann

AUTHOR, CRITIC (AUSTRIA)
BORN 19 Jul 1863, Linz, Oberösterreich - DIED 15 Jan 1934, München, Bayern
GRAVE LOCATION Salzburg: Kommunalfriedhof, Gneiser Strasse 8 (Gruppe 22, Nummer 22-23 (Ehrengrab) )

Hermann Bahr was born in Linz but went to a gymnasium in Salzburg, living with his grandparents. In Vienna he studied philosophy, law, economics and philology. After a long stay in Paris he worked as an art critic in Berlin and Vienna. In 1895 he married the Jewish actress Rosa Joka (1871-1940). Five years later they separated.

In 1899/1900 Joseph Maria Olbrich built a villa for him, the Haus Bahr in Ober Sankt Veit. From Gustav Klimt he bought the picture "Nude Veritas" and it had a prominent place in his house. In 1901 and 1902 he defended Klimt in his writings "Rede für Klimt" and "Gegen Klimt".

In 1906 he started working as a director with Max Reinhardt. In 1909 he married the singer Anna Mildenburg. He had to divorce Rosa Jokl first, but he supported her financially until the end of his life. From 1912 to 1922 he and Anna lived in Schloss Arenberg in Salzburg, where they were visited by many artists and intellectuals.

From 1918 onwards he worked as a dramatist for the Burgtheater in Vienna. Apart from his theoretical works he wrote forty plays and ten novels. He knew many of the literary people who frequented the café's in Vienna and Karl Krauss frequently criticized him in his satirical magazine "Der Fackel".

Bahr was involved in founding the Festspiele in Salzburg, where Anna performed from 1922 to 1927. In 1922 he followed Anna to Munich where she had become a professor. He lived there until his death in 1934, but he was buried in his beloved Salzburg.

Family
• Wife: Bahr-Mildenburg, Anna von (1909-1934)

Related persons
• was a friend of Hofmannsthal, Hugo von
• supported Klimt, Gustav
• owned work of Klimt, Gustav
• was a friend of Léon, Victor
• knew Odilon, Helene
• was a friend of Reinhardt, Max
• had a love affair with Sandrock, Wilhelmine
• knew Wedekind, Frank

Events
20/11/1906Premiere of "Frühlings Erwachen" by Frank Wedekind at the Berliner Kammerspiele. It was directed by Max Reinhardt and (uncredited) Hermann Bahr. [Eysoldt, Gertrud][Moissi, Alexander][Reinhardt, Max][Steinrück, Albert][Wedekind, Frank]
20/12/1906Premiere of Hermann Bahr's "Ringelspiel" at the Deutschen Theater, Berlin. It was directed by Bahr. The actors were Lucie Höflich, Alexander Moissi, Agnes Sorma, Albert Steinrück, Hans Wassermann and Paul Wegener. The stage scenery was created by Emil Orlik. [Höflich, Lucie][Moissi, Alexander][Sorma, Agnes][Steinrück, Albert][Wegener, Paul]
23/12/1909Premiere of Hermann Bahr's "Das Konzert" at the Lessingtheater in Berlin. It was directed by Otto Brahm. At the same time it was staged at the Schauspielhaus in Dresden and at the Schauspielhaus in Frankfurt am Main. 

Images

The grave of Hermann Bahr and Anna Bahr-Mildenburg at the Kommunalfriedhof, Salzburg.
Picture by Androom (29 Aug 2009)

 

The grave of Hermann Bahr and Anna Bahr-Mildenburg at the Kommunalfriedhof, Salzburg.
Picture by Androom (29 Aug 2009)

 

Sources
Das Konzert (Bahr) – Wikipedia
Frühlings Erwachen – Wikipedia


Bähr, Johann Karl Ulrich

Published: 13 Mar 2010
Last update: 01 Mar 2022