The nation's Mariandl is dead: Waltraut Haas has died

VOL.AT - Vorarlberg Online The nation's Mariandl is dead: Waltraut Haas has died 12 hours • 3 minutes reading time She will probably remain Mariandl forever in the hearts of Austrians: Even though Waltraut Haas made around 70 films over the course of her long career, it was this role in her debut film "Hofrat Geiger" in 1947 alongside Hans Moser that would inextricably shape her career. Now, Mariandl passed away in Vienna in the early hours of Wednesday morning at the age of 97, her family announced. A quiet farewell in a close circle "Despite all the immense sadness, we are grateful that she lived such a long life, was able to bring joy to so many people, and was in relatively good physical condition until the end," said the bereaved in their statement, announcing a farewell in the immediate family circle: "In addition to her impressive career, she was one thing above all: a warm-hearted, humorous, and deeply lovable person." To this day, the charm of the actress, born on June 9, 1927, in Vienna to a family of hoteliers, remains legendary. The path to her career was not an easy one. At her mother's request, Haas first attended a home economics school before graduating from the Vienna Conservatory for Performing Arts and also taking private acting lessons with Julia Janssen, a Burgtheater actress. Mariandl's career began on the theater stage, with performances at the Landestheater Linz, the Bürgertheater in Vienna, the Stadttheater and Raimund Theater, as well as the Titania-Palast Berlin and the Deutsches Theater Munich in Germany. Her discovery by Willi Forst marked a turning point: He cast her as Mariandl in his "Hofrat Geiger," which subsequently led to numerous roles as a sweet Viennese girl. Great figures such as Paul Hörbiger, Curd Jürgens, Johannes Heesters, Franz Antel, Heinz Rühmann, and above all Hans Moser served as mentors and companions for Haas. In addition to her roles in "Mariandl," "Mariandl's Homecoming," "Hallo Dienstmann," "Kleiner Schwindel am Wolfgangsee," "Gruß und Kuß aus der Wachau," and "Don't worry, darling, I'll be careful," directed by her husband Erwin Strahl, Haas also recorded records, including "Im Weißen Rössl" and "Wiener Lieder." "Jetzt sag ich's" as a memoir Waltraut Haas described this eventful life in her 2018 memoir "Jetzt sag ich's," in which she not only recounts experiences with Hollywood stars like Errol Flynn, but above all, erects a literary monument to her husband Erwin Strahl, with whom she had a son, Marcus Strahl, now an actor and director. Despite her basic optimism, she also recounted disappointments and defeats. As the genre of the lovable Heimatfilm, and thus her roles in works like "Sex am Wolfgangsee," increasingly devolved into shallow sex comedy, Haas's path led her back to the theater stage, where she was mostly in the spotlight under the direction of her husband, who died in 2011. The actress, who was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art in 2003 and the Golden Vienna Decoration of Honor in 2010, also discovered German-language television. She most recently appeared in 2020 in Catalina Molina's "Das Glück ist ein Vogerl" (Happiness is a Bird) as a patient in a persistent vegetative state. Above all, Waltraut Haas always remained connected to the theater stage and could be seen, for example, with the two artist-innkeepers Tamara Trojani and Konstantin Schenk at the Dinner Theater Schönbrunn and at the Wachau Festival. ORF in memoriam Waltraut Haas ORF is honoring Waltraut Haas: Today, "Seitenblicke" (8:05 p.m., ORF 2) will begin with a monothematic program dedicated to the popular actress, followed at 10:30 p.m. by the portrait "Waltraut Haas - A Life for the Stage." A reunion with film classics featuring Haas will take place on April 26 on ORF 2: After a repeat of the portrait (2:30 p.m.), "Mariandl" (2:55 p.m.) will be on the program. "Mariandl's Homecoming" follows on April 27 (2:00 p.m.), and "Im Weißen Rössl" (In the White Horse Inn) on May 1 (2:40 p.m.). ORF III will present Waltraut Haas in her debut role in "Der Hofrat Geiger" on May 3 (3:40 p.m.). Haas's last film, "Das Glück ist ein Vogerl," is available for streaming on ORF ON.