Claus Peymann: An unforgettable fighter for theater art

Claus Peymann: An unforgettable fighter for theater art

Berlin-Köpenick, Deutschland - Claus Peymann, an outstanding personality of the theater world, died on July 16, 2025 in Berlin-Köpenick at the age of 88. Peymann, who was born in Bremen on June 7, 1937, leaves a significant gap in the German -speaking theater, as a director and former director of the Burgtheater in Vienna and the Berlin ensemble. For almost four decades, he shaped cultural life in Germany and Austria with his vision of a political theater, which stimulates social disputes, as SPÖ cultural spokeswoman Katrin Auer emphasized in an official explanation. According to [ots.at] (https://www.ots.at/presseaus-sung/ots_20250716_ots0106/spoe-kulturin-auer-claus-peymann-un-uner-kaempfer-fuer-theater-als---Ort- der-Society, she describes Peymann as a tireless fighter for the freedom of art and for remembering National Socialism history.

in his time as director of the Burgtheater, from 1986 to 1999, Peymann strengthened his reputation by bringing works on stage, Elfriede Jelinek and Peter Handke on stage. His productions were often shaped by a critical look at the social conditions, which made him a courageous cultural politician who constantly entered the art of art and the role of art in democracy.

a life for the theater

Peymann's career began at the University Theater in Hamburg, where he gained first directing experiences. Afterwards he was the head of the Frankfurt Theater on the Turm and worked on numerous theaters before taking over his first great directorate in Stuttgart in 1974. This ascent also documents his time in Bochum, where he quit 44 actors, which caused a lot of excitement. His directorate at the Vienna Burgtheater was no less tumultuous than he was conflict with the press and parts of the ensemble, which did not reduce his creative ambitions, but rather stated, as wikipedia.org.

He has led the Berlin Ensemble since 1999 and also ensured a breath of fresh air there by performing contemporary authors. Although his career had many ups and downs, he was awarded the Nestroy Theater Prize for his life's work in 2002. Peymann's last years were characterized by health setbacks, including severe meningitis in 2019, from which he was difficult to recover. Nevertheless, he staged a piece by Thomas Bernhard at the Vienna Theater in Josefstadt in 2020.

legacy and legacy

Katrin Auer spoke of a great loss for the art and theater world in Austria and Germany. She praised Peymann's tireless efforts and takes a look at his special ability to use the theater as a place of social discussion. With his death, the theater landscape not only loses a director, but also a visionary who crossed cultural borders and always fought for the fact that the freedom of art is never restricted.

Peymann's estate is recognized as an important legacy of the German -speaking theater scene. His influence on theater practice will also improve in research, as is indicated at the awarding of the Max Herrmann Dissertation Prize 2024 on November 23, 2024, which underlines the relevance of the theater as a social and cultural space. Going his way will be of great importance for future generations of theater makers and researchers.