Elisabeth Orth: Vienna mourns the loss of the legendary Burgtheater doele

Elisabeth Orth: Vienna mourns the loss of the legendary Burgtheater doele

Wien, Österreich - On May 17, 2025, the important Austrian actress Elisabeth Orth died at the age of 90. Her career, which lasted more than six decades, was closely linked to the glorious Burgtheater in Vienna, where she made her debut in 1965. Orth, who was born as the daughter of Paula Wessely and Attila Hörbiger in Vienna, began her acting training at the Max Reinhardt seminar and lived out her artistic talent in over 80 productions at the Burgtheater. Her impressive performance was recognized in 2015 with the appointment as the Doyenne of the Burgtheater, the honorary title for the oldest honorary members of the stage. This appointment takes place according to a strict selection process in consultation with various artistic bodies and is sealed by the Ministry. In her artistic work she shone in significant roles, including Nora in Ibsen's "Nora" and mother Courage in Brecht's work.

The burial of Elisabeth Orth will take place in the closest family in the honor grave in the Vienna Central Cemetery. An event in your honor is already planned for the coming season, which will remind the audience of the life's work of the chamber actress and honorary member of the Burgtheater. Orth's career was not only characterized by acting, but also by their commitment to anti -Semitism and xenophobia. She was President of the campaign against anti -Semitism in Austria and wrote columns for the weekly newspaper "Die Frei" from 1979 to 2000.

a life for the stage

Elisabeth Orth debut on October 21, 1965 as a Louise in Schiller's “Kabale und Liebe”. Over the years she worked with well -known directors and played numerous important roles. Her most outstanding representations include:

• title role in Shaw's "The Saint Johanna"
• clarification in Goethe's "Egmont"
• Countess Eboli in Schiller's "Don Carlos"
• Gertrud in Shakespeare's "Hamlet"
• Emilia in Shakespeare's "Othello"

Your return to the Burgtheater in 1999 after Berlin years and the last joint performance with her son Cornelius Obonya in 2017 in "Coriolan" underline her deep personal relationship to this institution.

appreciation and awards

In the course of her career, Orth received numerous awards, including the Kainz Medal, the Grillparzer Ring and the Federal Discalion for Tolerance and Human Rights. In 2022 she was awarded the Nestroy Theater Prize for her life's work and the "Elisabeth Orth Prize" was donated by the Society of Friends of the Burgtheater. They made their merits for the Austrian theater landscape and their tireless efforts for social issues not only as an artist, but also as a person.

The Burgtheater, a symbol of the highest theater art, was founded in 1748 and has established itself as one of the most important speech stages in the German -speaking world. The appointment for the Doyenne is a special honor that will only be given a few who, like Elisabeth Orth, meet the requirements of at least ten years of commitment and excellent artistic achievements. Her unique career will continue to live in the memory of the theater, while the Burgtheater is reminiscent of the artistic achievements of Elisabeth Orth.