Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn

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Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn, lithograph by Andreas Staub , ca.1835

Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn (born February 16, 1773 in Koblenz , † May 17, 1847 in Vienna ) was a German actress and writer.

Life

Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn was a daughter of the officer and later actor Benjamin Grünberg . Her father died very early, leaving his widowed wife with six children. All children had to help out at home from an early age and also contribute to the family's livelihood. The children did not enjoy any education in terms of reading and writing, which made their lives even more difficult, as they had already learned the first verses by heart at the age of 4 in order to reproduce them in front of an audience. When she had to stay in bed for a long time at the age of nine, she taught herself to read and write. Johanna's mother married again, Andreas Teichmann. This used the talent of the children and performed pieces from Weisse 's child friend . These were very popular and the family soon moved across the country.

Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn, portrait of a youth

Johanna came to Munich alone in 1788 , but did not feel very self-confident away from her family. She received a letter from her stepbrother, from whom she had not yet heard, and who invited her to Baden near Vienna. However, she did not like the stage located there, which is why she moved on to Vienna and reached the city on September 29, 1789. Here she soon received an offer from the theater director Brockmann, who hired her for the National Theater on behalf of Emperor Joseph II . Already in her second year in Vienna, Johanna married Alois Franul von Weißenthurn (1759-1817), a patrician from Fiume . Even after the marriage she remained loyal to the theater and made a career mainly in heroic roles.

At the age of 69, Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn gave her farewell performance in Vienna in 1842, withdrew into private life and devoted herself almost exclusively to her literary work. Three months after her 72nd birthday, Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn died on May 17, 1847 in Vienna and found her final resting place in an honorary grave in the Hietzing cemetery (group 5, number 31) in today's 13th district of Vienna. Weißenthurngasse in Vienna- Meidling is named after her.

actress

Her first appearance on a Viennese stage took place on October 15, 1789, in which she played the role of Henriette in the work Das Testament (by Friedrich Ludwig Schröder , first performance November 3, 1781). This first performance for its part coincided with the last performance attended by Emperor Joseph II before his death. In the first years of her employment at the Burgtheater , Johanna was seen on stage only relatively rarely, as the number of popular competitors was still very large. Her position at the theater consolidated under the name of Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn and she got roles as “first lover”. Her nobility by marriage brought her advantages that should not be underestimated and also improved her situation.

Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn as a kk court actress

Johanna von Weißenthurn worked as an artist under four monarchs at the court stage: “She had seen the features of Emperor Joseph, had been encouraged by his word and was a witness of the highest blossoming of the art institute he founded. As an artist, she initially asserted herself in the field of first lovers alongside Frau Rose, in later years she moved into the field of mothers and played cozy women with great success. "

Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte admired Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn in 1809 in Schönbrunn Palace. In a production only for the emperor and his court, she gave the phaedra in the tragedy of the same name by Racine in the translation by Friedrich Schiller . For this, the emperor gave her 3,000 francs with special compliments. On October 1, 1839, in honor of her 50th anniversary at the Burgtheater, her new play What is the Bride (comedy in 4th acts) was performed with a full house. Even after her anniversary, Ms. von Weißenthurn remained active in the theater, albeit in significantly fewer roles that were only adapted to her age.

On March 3, 1842, Madame Weißenthurn's last appearance took place. This was announced in the magazine Der Humorist on February 16, 1842 :

“The friends of the stage will soon have a touching and significantly theatrical celebration ahead of them. Ms. von Weissenthurn, whose undisputed achievements as a theater poet and performer are generally known and appreciated, will be on the stage for the last time as a performing artist at a specially dedicated theater evening. "

Johanna von Weißenthurn wrote two new pieces for this evening: The silent bride , an alpine legend in one act and she helps herself , a comedy in four acts. While she is highly acclaimed for helping herself , The Silent Bride found little resonance with the audience.

Working as a poet

Ms. von Weißenthurn wrote her first work on the occasion of a bet over a period of eight days. She was just 24 years old when she wrote the 4-act play entitled The Druze, based on a story by La Fontaine . Many more followed. A total of 60 were published and 48 of them were performed at the Hofburgtheater. Her comedies made her particularly popular, and it is in this genre that she has moved the most. In the period from 1800 to 1852 there were 912 performances of plays by Frau von Weißenthurn at the Burgtheater. The most played piece is The Forest near Sibiu , which has already been performed 117 times. The pieces were also very popular on other German stages and have even been translated into English, French, Italian or Danish. Contemporary reviews of the time are enthusiastic:

“On the eve of the naming feast of Her Majesty the Empress, a new play by Madame Weißenthurn 'The Storming of Smolensk' was staged in the court theater with general approval. the audience expressed their satisfaction with the poet, who is known and loved by several theatrical works, by being called out to great jubilation at the end of the play. "

As a stage poet, she cultivated the family touch and always had the audience on her side, even though the critics were not impressed by her work: “Her pieces were welcomed, often performed, well attended and remained in the repertoire for half a century to which they still appear here and there today. "

Her most famous plays are Totila, King of the Goths , The Forest near Sibiu , Johann Duke of Finland and Pauline . Furthermore, The Radical Cure , Which is the Bride , Which is the Groom , The Last Remedy , The Heirs , Ashamed Jealousy and The Painter's Masterpiece are the most famous comedies .

Roles (selection)

Fonts

Spectacles. 6 volumes. Vienna 1804–1817: Drama Volume 1: ( digitized version )

  • Childlike love , acting in five acts
  • House for sale , comedy all in one, translated from French
  • The Reukauf , comedy in two acts
  • German loyalty , drama in one act

Drama Volume 2: ( digitized version )

  • Love and renunciation , acting in three acts
  • Ashamed jealousy , comedy in three acts
  • The aftermath , comedy in one act, freely adapted from the French
  • The Druze , a show in four acts

Drama Volume 3: ( digitized version )

  • The heirs , comedy in four acts
  • Totila, King of the Goths , play in five acts
  • The misunderstanding , comedy in one act

Drama Volume 4: ( digitized version )

  • Adelheid, Margravine von Burgau , romantic play in four acts
  • The radical cure , original comedy in three acts
  • Love of subjects , comedy in two acts
  • Breakfast , comedy in one elevator

Drama Volume 5: ( digitized version )

  • The forest near Sibiu , a romantic show in four acts
  • Reconciliation , a show in three acts
  • The fear of marriage , comedy in one act

Drama Volume 6: ( digitized version )

  • The storming of Smolensk , romantic drama in four acts
  • The first love , comedy in three acts
  • The orphanage , play in two lifts

Acts Volume 7:

  • Johann, Duke of Finland , play in five acts

Acts Volume 8:

  • Hermann , a historical play in five acts
  • New plays , 2 volumes. Vienna 1817. 2nd edition. Berlin 1823.
  • Latest plays , 6 volumes. Vienna 1821–1836.

The forest near Sibiu

Theater poster for the play "The Forest near Sibiu"

The most played piece by Johanna von Weißenthurn was Der Wald bei Hermannstadt , which was performed 117 times. Because of the success of the piece, it was also translated into English and French. For Wilhelm Westmeyer it was the subject of his great opera of the same name with dance in three acts (libretto by Ludwig von Zehmen ), which was premiered in Leipzig in 1859.

content

The play takes place mainly in the surrounding forests of the city of Sibiu, on a farm and in the city itself. Duke Ulmarich of Transylvania wants to marry Elisene, the princess of Bulgaria and sends his ambassador, Dobroslav, to Bulgaria to meet his bride bring. On the way back, however, they are attacked by robbers and Boleslav, the Chancellor of the King of Bulgaria and the maidservants of the princess are killed.

Karlo, Dobroslav's confidante, meanwhile brings his sister Olfriede, whom he kept hidden for years, to the ruins of a robber's castle. Dobroslav kidnaps the princess and also brings her to the ruins. Since Olfriede fell madly in love with him after seeing a picture of the duke, Dobroslav would like to help her to her happiness. So he exchanges the princess, whose face no one knows either, for his sister.

Elisene is left behind in the ruins, where she is supposed to be murdered by two robbers. But these answer their pleading and let them live. Shortly afterwards, Elisene is found by Kower, a compatriot, and his son Gokol and taken to their farm. There she is taken in by Kower and his wife Siwa. Gokol falls in love with Elise, who does not reciprocate.

When the Duke and his bride unexpectedly come to the court, Elisene learns that the wedding is to take place in Sibiu the next day. Dobroslav also comes to the farm, but shortly after he meets Elisene, the Duke sends him to Sibiu to prepare for the wedding.

Fearing Dobroslav, Elisene decides to flee that night. When Gokol notices this, he doesn't want to let her go alone and flees with her. The next morning two of the duke's servants come to the farm on the orders of Dobroslav to pick up Elisene. Since they cannot find her, they look for her in the woods, but unsuccessfully. Elisene now decides to prevent the wedding and makes her way to Sibiu. When the chancellor of the Bulgarian king, who was believed dead, suddenly appears, everything can be cleared up and Dobroslav is captured.

literature

Web links

Commons : Johanna Franul von Weißenthurn  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Deceased in Vienna. In: Wiener Zeitung. May 21, 1847, p. 1125.
  2. ↑ Ludmilla Antonia Steyskal: Johanna Franul of Weissenthurn as an actress at the Burgtheater. 1963, p. 341.
  3. ↑ Ludmilla Antonia Steyskal: Johanna Franul of Weissenthurn as an actress at the Burgtheater. 1963, p. 166.
  4. ^ See Augsburgische Ordinari Postzeitung, Nro. 224, Saturday, Sept. 17th, Anno 1808, p. 1, as digitized version .
  5. ↑ Ludmilla Antonia Steyskal: Johanna Franul of Weissenthurn as an actress at the Burgtheater. 1963, p. 342.
personal data
SURNAME Franul von Weißenthurn, Johanna
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Franul von Weißenthurn, Johanna; Weißenthurn, Johanna von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German actress and theater poet
DATE OF BIRTH February 16, 1773
PLACE OF BIRTH Koblenz
DATE OF DEATH May 17, 1847
Place of death Vienna