The Franz Grillparzer Prize was a

literary award A literary award or literary prize is an award presented in recognition of a particularly lauded literary piece or body of work. It is normally presented to an author. Organizations Most literary awards come with a corresponding award ceremony. Ma ...

, named after the writer

Franz Grillparzer Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer (15 January 1791 – 21 January 1872) was an Austrian writer who was considered to be the leading Austrian dramatist of the 19th century. His plays were and are frequently performed at the famous Burgtheater in Vien ...

. It was established in 1872, shortly after his death, by his lover,

Katharina Fröhlich Katharina "Kathie" Fröhlich (10 June 1800 – 3 March 1879) was engaged to Franz Grillparzer for 50 years. She founded the Schwestern-Fröhlich-Stiftung in Vienna, and became a patron of artists and writers. Life Katharina Fröhlich was bor ...

. After her death in 1879, the award was continued by a donation to the Austrian Academy of Sciences.. Until 1971, the prize was presented every three years to "das relativ beste deutsche dramatische Werk, das im Lauf der letzten 3 Jahre auf einer namhaften Bühne zur Aufführung gelangte und nicht schon vorher von anderer Seite durch einen Preis ausgezeichnet worden ist" ("the relatively best German dramatic work, which has been performed on a well-known stage during the last three years and has not been awarded a prize by another group").

Prizes awarded by the Academy from 1875 to 1938

* 1875: Adolf von Wilbrandt for ''Gracchus der Volkstribun'' * 1884:

Ernst von Wildenbruch Ernst von Wildenbruch (3 February 184515 January 1909) was a German poet and dramatist. Biography Wildenbruch was born at Beirut in Lebanon, the son of the Prussian consul-general, Ludwig von Wildenbruch, who was himself an illegitimate son of ...

* 1887:

Ludwig Anzengruber Ludwig Anzengruber (29 November 1839 – 10 December 1889) was an Austrian dramatist, novelist and poet. He was born and died in Vienna, Austria. Origins The Anzengruber line originated in the district of Ried im Innkreis in Upper Austria. Lu ...

* 1890: Adolf von Wilbrandt * 1896:

Gerhart Hauptmann Gerhart Johann Robert Hauptmann (; 15 November 1862 – 6 June 1946) was a German dramatist and novelist. He is counted among the most important promoters of literary naturalism, though he integrated other styles into his work as well. He recei ...

for ''

Hanneles Himmelfahrt ''The Ascension of Little Hannele'' (german: Hanneles Himmelfahrt), also known simply as ''Hannele'', is an 1893 play by the German playwright Gerhart Hauptmann.Hartnoll (1983, 377). In contrast to Hauptmann's naturalistic dramas, ''The Assumptio ...

'' * 1899: Gerhart Hauptmann for '' Fuhrmann Henschel'' * 1902:

Otto Erich Hartleben Otto Erich Hartleben (3 June 1864 – in Clausthal; 11 February 1905 in Salò) was a German poet and dramatist from Clausthal, known for his translation of ''Pierrot Lunaire''. Childhood, Education and Marriage Orphaned as a child, Hartlebe ...

for ''Rosenmontag'' * 1905: Gerhart Hauptmann for ''Der arme Heinrich'' * 1908:

Arthur Schnitzler Arthur Schnitzler (15 May 1862 – 21 October 1931) was an Austrian author and dramatist. Biography Arthur Schnitzler was born at Praterstrasse 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, capital of the Austrian Empire (as of 1867, part of the dual monarchy ...

for ''Zwischenspiel'' * 1911:

Karl Schönherr Karl Schönherr (24 February 1867 - 15 March 1943) was an Austrian writer of Austrian Heimat themes. Biography Schönherr was born in Axams, near Innsbruck (Austria), to Joseph and Marie Suitner Schönherr. He began studying philosophy in Inn ...

* 1917: Karl Schönherr * 1920: Karl Schönherr for ''Kindertragödie'' * 1923:

Fritz von Unruh Fritz von Unruh (; 10 May 1885 – 28 November 1970) was a German expressionist dramatist, poet, and novelist. Biography Unruh was born in Koblenz, Germany. A general's son, he was an officer in the German army until 1912, when he ...

* 1926:

Franz Werfel Franz Viktor Werfel (; 10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945) was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and Poetry, poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. He is primarily known as the author of ''Th ...

* 1929:

Max Mell Max Mell (1882–1971) was an Austrian writer. He wrote plays, novels and screenplays. He was born in Maribor, then part of the Austrian Empire but now in Slovenia. He studied at Vienna University, and served in the Austrian military during World ...

* 1935: * 1938:

Franz Theodor Csokor Franz Theodor Csokor (6 September 1885–5 January 1969) was an Austrian author and dramatist, particularly well known for his Expressionist dramas. His most successful and best-known piece is ''3. November 1918'', about the downfall of the A ...

The prize was not awarded in 1878, 1881, 1893 and 1932. In 1914, the prize was going to be given to Arthur Schnitzler for ''

Professor Bernhardi ''Professor Bernhardi'' (1912) is one of the best known plays written by the Viennese dramatist, short story writer and novelist Arthur Schnitzler. It was first performed in Berlin at the Kleines Theater in 1912, but banned in Austria until the ...

'', but the ceremony was cancelled following objections made by the philosopher, .Der Grillparzer Preis 1914 – ein Symptom
in ''Vor allem bin ich''.

Prizes given by the City of Vienna, under National Socialism

The ceremonies were held under the auspices of the local

Reichsgau A (plural ) was an administrative subdivision created in a number of areas annexed by Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1945. Overview The term was formed from the words (realm, empire) and , the latter a deliberately medieval-sounding word wi ...

and presided over by the

Gauleiter A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...

and

Reichsstatthalter The ''Reichsstatthalter'' (, ''Imperial lieutenant'') was a title used in the German Empire and later in Nazi Germany. ''Statthalter des Reiches'' (1879–1918) The office of ''Statthalter des Reiches'' (otherwise known as ''Reichsstatthalte ...

Baldur von Schirach Baldur Benedikt von Schirach (9 May 1907 – 8 August 1974) was a German politician who is best known for his role as the Nazi Party national youth leader and head of the Hitler Youth from 1931 to 1940. He later served as ''Gauleiter'' and ''Re ...

. The jury consisted of eight persons appointed by him. *1940 Max Mell *1941

Ina Seidel Ina Seidel (15 September 1885 – 3 October 1974) was a German lyric poet and novelist. Favourite themes included motherhood and the mysteries of race and heredity. Biography Family provenance Johanna Mathilde "Ina" Seidel was born in Halle, to ...

*1942 *1943 ,

Josef Weinheber Josef Weinheber (9 March 1892 in Vienna – 8 April 1945 in Kirchstetten, Lower Austria) was an Austrian lyric poet, narrative writer and essayist. Life Brought up in an orphanage, Weinheber was, before his authorial career, a casual labourer, ...

and Josef Wenter, for his lifework *1944

Erwin Guido Kolbenheyer Erwin Guido Kolbenheyer (30 December 1878, in Budapest – 12 April 1962, in Munich) was an Austrian novelist, poet and playwright. Later based in Germany, he belonged to a group of writers that included the likes of Hans Grimm, Rudolf G. Bindi ...

Prizes awarded by the Academy from 1947 to 1971

* 1947: * 1950: no award * 1953: Rudolf Bayr * 1956:

Fritz Hochwälder Fritz Hochwälder (28 May 1911 – 21 October 1986) also known as Fritz Hochwaelder, was an Austrian playwright. Known for his spare prose and strong moralist themes, Hochwälder won several literary awards, including the Grand Austrian State ...

* 1959: no award * 1962: * 1965:

Felix Braun Felix Braun (4 November 1885, Vienna – 29 November 1973, Klosterneuburg, Lower Austria) was an Austrian writer. Life Braun was born in Vienna, then capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, to a Jewish family. His mother died in 1888 during the b ...

for ''Orpheus'' * 1968:

Friedrich Dürrenmatt Friedrich Dürrenmatt (; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-g ...

for ''

Der Besuch der alten Dame ''The Visit'' (german: Der Besuch der alten Dame, English: ''The Visit of the Old Lady'') is a 1956 tragicomic play by Swiss dramatist Friedrich Dürrenmatt. Synopsis An enormously wealthy older woman returns to her former hometown with a dreadf ...

'' * 1971:

Thomas Bernhard Nicolaas Thomas Bernhard (; 9 February 1931 – 12 February 1989) was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet who explored death, social injustice, and human misery in controversial literature that was deeply pessimistic about modern civilizati ...

for ''Ein Fest für Boris'' In 1968, the award was originally set to be given to Dürrenmatt for his play, '' Die Physiker'', but was changed when that play came under criticism for being "anti-science".

The Grillparzer Prize since 1990

In 1990, following an article by the cultural critic, Christian Michelides, lamenting the "disappearance" of the Prize, a "Committee for the Salvation of the Grillparzer Prize" was formed, but achieved nothing due to financial irregularities. The Minister of Culture,

Erhard Busek Erhard Busek (25 March 1941 – 13 March 2022) was an Austrian politician from the Christian-conservative People's Party (ÖVP). Throughout his political career, he was widely regarded as one of the leaders of the party's liberal wing. He was c ...

, also refused to reinstate the Prize, citing lack of funds.. In 1993, a group known as the "Anonyme Aktionisten" (Anonymous Activists) sent over twenty-seven "Grillparzer Awards" to every well-known writer in Austria, by telegram. Notices were also given to various newspapers, with a different winner's name for each paper.

References

{{reflist Austrian literary awards Awards disestablished in 1971