Big surge: ORF honored the unforgettable Topsy Küppers!

Big surge: ORF honored the unforgettable Topsy Küppers!

Wien, Österreich - Topsy Küppers, the 93-year-old Viennese singer, actress and author, died on June 14, 2025. Her death leaves a gap in the Austrian cultural scene, where it was considered an important personality of cabaret. In the early years of life, she had to live hidden in the Netherlands with her mother and grandmother during the Second World War. She received her artistic training that included spectacle, dance and singing in Germany before moving to Austria in 1962, where she found a new home with her husband Georg Kreisler.

Küppers was born on August 17, 1931 in Aachen and began her career in 1950 in revues in German -speaking countries. She celebrated her film debut in 1954 in "Guitars of Love". Over the years, she participated in numerous film and television premieres, including in classic punch films of the 50s and 60s like "We like the world" and "Die Wilde Auguste". From 1958 she performed regularly with Georg Kreisler, whose influence on her career was decisive.

influential career and artistic commitment

In 1976 Topsy Küppers founded the free stage in Vienna, which quickly became a center for artistic work and housed great talents such as Erika Pluhar and Christiane Hörbiger. She headed the theater until 2001 and was passionate about topics such as women's rights, anti -Semitism and against fascism. Your programs, including "Sardon? When I deviate ..." and "chopped Zores", testify to their tireless commitment.

Küppers leaves an extensive work that includes several CDs and books, such as "All dreams lead to Vienna. A factual novel" and "loud dear people. A big letter to my audience". Despite her success, she fought with the handover of the theater management and mourned for the loss of copyrights on "Tonight: Lola Blau", after her separation from Kreisler in 1975.

memories and honors

The ORF pays respect to the artist and changes his program in honor of Topsy Küppers. On Sunday, June 15th, ORF 2 at 11:55 p.m. shows the program "From the Archive: Topsy Küppers", which was recorded in 2021 on the occasion of its 90th birthday in the Vienna Funkhaus. In addition, Ö1 will repeat a program from 2021 on the same day at 9.05 a.m., in which Küppers says: "Getting old is nothing for cowards and since I fought for things and occurred all my life, I also courageously offer my forehead." ORF III also plans to radiate the same production on June 16 at 9.10 a.m.

In addition, the broadcasters bring further contributions from Küppers' repertoire, including a repetition of a conversation with Renata Schmidtkunz, which will be sent in "In conversation" on June 20 from 4:05 p.m. A contribution about your view of the talent "art of living" will also be broadcast on June 19 at 7.05 a.m. in "living art".

Topsy Küppers will not only be remembered for her artistic achievements, but also for the courage with which she fought against social grievances and opened doors for many artists. Your life's work will leave a lasting legacy in the Austrian art scene.