Portal:Austria/Selected biography/16

Ferdinand Raimund (June 1, 1790 – September 5, 1836, Pottenstein, Lower Austria) was an actor and dramatist.

In 1823 he produced his first play, Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel, which was followed by Der Diamant des Geisterkönigs (1824). The still popular Bauer als Millionär (1826), Der Alpenkönig und der Menschenfeind (1828) and Der Verschwender (1833) are Raimund's masterpieces. Raimund's comedies are still frequently performed in Austria today.

Raimund was a master of the Viennese Posse or farce; his rich humour is seen to best advantage in his realistic portraits of his fellow-citizens. The Raimund Theater in Vienna is named after him.