Karl Merkatz

Karl Merkatz
Merkatz en 2013
Born17 November 1930 
Died4 December 2022  (aged 92)
Irrsdorf 
Alma mater
OccupationTelevision actor, joiner, actor, writer, editor 

Karl Merkatz (17 November 1930 – 4 December 2022) was an Austrian actor.

Merkatz was born on 17 November 1930 in Wiener Neustadt, the son of a toolmaker. He first wanted to become a carpenter. After World War II he was an active Boy Scout in Wiener Neustadt.[1][2][3][4][5] However, later he started to enroll in acting lessons in Salzburg, Vienna and Zurich. Then he found employment in theatres, most notably in Munich, Salzburg, Hamburg (Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Thalia Theater[6]), and Vienna (Theater in der Josefstadt, Burgtheater, Theater an der Wien[6]).

During his later career he starred in several roles in television and motion pictures. In the role of Edmund Sackbauer (Mundl) in the 1970s, he became famous as a typical working class Viennese (Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter). Another big success came with the films "Bockerer" starring as a naive Viennese during the Second World War in Vienna (the later films are set in the subsequent years up to 1968).

From 1998 to 2000 Karl Merkatz was honorary chairman[7] of the human rights group SOS Mitmensch.

In 2005 Merkatz caused a deadly car accident in Henndorf (Salzburg).[8]

Merkatz died in Straßwalchen on 4 December 2022, at the age of 92.[9][10]

Major roles

Decorations and awards

  • Best Actor (1981) and Film Award (1982) for The Bockerer (Part 1)
  • German Film Awards: Best Actor (1982) for The Bockerer (Part 1)
  • Honorary Medal of the Austrian capital Vienna in Gold (1995) for his services to theaters in Vienna and as an excellent performer of Viennese Types
  • Honorary Ring of Wiener Neustadt (1995)
  • Golden Romy as the most popular actor (1996)
  • Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art (1999)[13]
  • Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the province of Lower Austria (2002)

References

  1. ^ Philipp Pertl; Karl Merkatz (2010). "Alter Meister mit kleinen Fehlern". Skills-Pfadfinderinnen und Aussen.Magazin zum Abenteuer des Lebens. (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs und Monopol Verlag: 68–69.
  2. ^ Kati Kieser; Lisa Niederdorfer (2010). "Dabei gewesen". Skills-Pfadfinderinnen und Aussen.Magazin zum Abenteuer des Lebens. (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs und Monopol Verlag: 66.
  3. ^ "Dietmarpreisverleihung 2007" (in German). Pfadfindergruppe Ried im Innkreis. 2007. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  4. ^ Emanuel Riedmann (2009). "Die Werte des ewigen Geburtstagskindes" (in German). economy austria-Unabhängige Plattform für Wirtschaft und Bildung. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
  5. ^ "Eingeschlagene Pfade". Skills-100 Jahre Pfadfinder.Magazin zum Abenteuer des Lebens. (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs und Monopol Verlag: 104. 2007.
  6. ^ a b Drees, Stephanie (5 December 2022). "Der Schauspieler Karl Merkatz ist tot". nachtkritik.de (in German). Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  7. ^ "SOS Mitmensch - Menschenrechte und Antirassismus". www.sosmitmensch.at. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Vier Monate für Karl Merkatz wegen tödlichen Verkehrsunfalls". DER STANDARD (in Austrian German). Retrieved 17 March 2025.
  9. ^ "Karl Merkatz verstorben". ORF.at. 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  10. ^ "Volksschauspieler Karl Merkatz 92-jährig gestorben". Austria Presse Agentur. APA-Gruppe. 4 December 2022. Archived from the original on 4 December 2022. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  11. ^ "12th Moscow International Film Festival (1981)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 21 April 2013. Retrieved 25 January 2013.
  12. ^ "Der Mann von la Mancha (TV Movie 1994) - IMDb". IMDb.
  13. ^ "Reply to a parliamentary question" (PDF) (in German). p. 1264. Retrieved 21 January 2013.