author
Ferdinand Raimund
1790–1836
A star of Vienna’s popular theater, this Austrian actor-playwright helped turn magical folk comedy into something richer and more emotionally resonant. His best-loved plays mix fantasy, humor, and a sharp sense of human weakness.
8 Audiobooks
Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind
by Ferdinand Raimund
Das Mädchen aus der Feenwelt; oder, Der Bauer als Millionär
by Ferdinand Raimund
Der Diamant des Geisterkönigs
by Ferdinand Raimund
Der Verschwender
by Ferdinand Raimund
Die unheilbringende Krone (oder König ohne Reich, Held ohne Mut, Schönheit ohne Jugend)
by Ferdinand Raimund
Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel
by Ferdinand Raimund
Moisasurs Zauberfluch
by Ferdinand Raimund
Die gefesselte Phantasie
by Ferdinand Raimund
About the author
Born in Vienna on June 1, 1790, Ferdinand Raimund became one of the key figures of the old Viennese popular theater. He first made his name as an actor, appearing at the Josefstadt and then the Leopoldstadt theaters, where he won audiences as a comic performer.
In the 1820s and 1830s he began writing plays of his own, including Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel, Der Diamant des Geisterkönigs, Der Bauer als Millionär, Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind, and Der Verschwender. Alongside Johann Nestroy, he is remembered as a leading representative of Alt-Wiener Volkstheater, blending fairy-tale elements with lively comedy and moral reflection.
Raimund died on September 5, 1836, in Pottenstein, Lower Austria. His works remained popular long after his death, and he is still valued for bringing warmth, imagination, and theatrical charm to the German-language stage.