Ferdinand Raimund

Born in Vienna in 1790, Ferdinand Raimund became known both as an actor and as a playwright. He performed at major Viennese theaters, including the Theater in der Josefstadt and the Theater in der Leopoldstadt, and he often appeared in his own works.

Raimund is especially remembered for magical and comic plays such as Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel, Der Bauer als Millionär, Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind, and Der Verschwender. His writing mixed fantasy, humor, and everyday feeling in a way that made him one of the defining figures of Austrian popular theater.

He died in 1836 in Lower Austria. Even after his early death, his plays remained central to the German-language stage, and he is still seen as one of the key voices of the Biedermeier era.