Hans Hurch

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Hans Hurch and Sandy Powell at the Viennale 2015

Hans Hurch (born December 18, 1952 in Schärding ; † July 23, 2017 in Rome ) was an Austrian film journalist, cultural manager and, since 1997, director of the Viennale film festival in Vienna .

Life

Vienna Central Cemetery - Grave of Hans Hurch (2017)

Already in his youth he developed a special interest in film due to the short films with Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in the Schärdinger Rex and Froschauer cinemas. When these cinemas were closed, he came to the film club in Passau as a teenager, where he got to know the most important works in film history thanks to the weekly series “The Special Film”. From 1971 Hans Hurch studied art history, philosophy and archeology, later also sociology and psychology, at the University of Vienna . From 1976 he worked for the Viennese city newspaper Falter , he wrote articles on music and photography and was able to set up his own film editorial team. In addition to his journalistic activities, he organized film series and retrospectives, for example for the city ​​cinema , the Wiener Festwochen and the Danube Festival . From 1986 to 2000 he worked as an assistant director and collaborator in theater and film works by the directors Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet in the productions "Der Tod des Empedokles" (1987), "Schwarze Sünde" (1989) and "Antigone" (1992 ) With. From 1990 to 1992 he worked with the documentary filmmaker Astrid Johanna Ofner on the documentaries “Jetzt und alle Zeit” and “Ins Leere” (1993). From 1993 to 1996 he was appointed curator of the “Hundred Years Cinema” project by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Art . In 1997 he became director of the Viennale and held this position until his death. On September 23, 2003, he was awarded the Great Silver Medal for Services to the State of Vienna , which he took over on March 10, 2004.

Astrid Johanna Ofner was his long-term partner. He died of heart failure while working in Rome. He was cremated in the Simmering fire hall and the urn was buried in an honorary grave at Vienna's central cemetery. Franz Schwartz was the interim successor as director of the Viennale, and Eva Sangiorgi was introduced as artistic director of the Viennale in January 2018 .

plant

As a cultural manager, Hans Hurch shaped the Austrian film and festival scene for many years. Under his leadership, the Viennale became an internationally recognized festival that was enthusiastically received by the public. He wanted to end his position as director of the Viennale in 2018 after his contract, which expired in 2016, was extended for another two years in summer 2015. His work was recognized by Minister of Culture Thomas Drozda , Vienna's Mayor Michael Häupl , City Councilor for Culture Andreas Mailath-Pokorny and many others.

Web links

Commons : Hans Hurch  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ HANS HURCH (1952-2017). At: viennale.at. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  2. ↑ Viennale boss Hans Hurch has died. In: DiePresse.com. July 24, 2017.
  3. ↑ centenary cinema. ( Memento from April 19, 2010 in the Internet Archive ). On: cinetext.philo.at. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  4. ↑ Viennale boss Hans Hurch is dead. In: Kurier.at. July 24, 2017.
  5. ^ Archive report of the town hall correspondence from March 10, 2004: Award for Hans Hurch and Heinz R. Unger. At: wien.gv.at. Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  6. ↑ Viennale boss Hans Hurch is dead. In: heute.at. July 24, 2017.
  7. ↑ orf.at: Hans Hurch buried in the central cemetery . Article dated August 17, 2017, accessed August 17, 2017.
  8. ↑ orf.at: Eva Sangiorgi new director of the Viennale . Article from January 11, 2018, accessed on January 11, 2018.
  9. ↑ Hans Hurch remains head of the Viennale until 2018. ( Memento of April 24, 2017 in the Internet Archive ). Retrieved July 24, 2017.
  10. ↑ After the death of Hans Hurch. Great concern in politics and the film industry. In: Courier online. June 24, 2017.
personal data
SURNAME Hurch, Hans
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian film journalist, cultural manager and curator
DATE OF BIRTH 18th December 1952
PLACE OF BIRTH Schärding , Austria
DATE OF DEATH 23rd July 2017
Place of death Rome , Italy