City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler presented the decoration in the Vienna City Hall
Vienna (OTS) – Today, Thursday, City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler awarded the Silver Medal of Honor for services to the State of Vienna to the actor Justus Neumann in the Vienna City Hall.
The musical tribute was provided by the Art4String Quartet, who played works by Burt Bacharach and Neil Diamond. In addition to the laudator, writer Herbert Maurer, the honor was attended by Elke Hesse, artistic director of the MUTH and Peter Marboe, former Vienna city councilor for culture, as well as many friends and family of Justus Neumann.
City Councilor for Culture Veronica Kaup-Hasler described Justus Neumann as the “seriously missing person, the one wanted everywhere” who was so closely linked to the city of Vienna: “This was the starting point, this is where you always returned.” With his “representation of the Nestroy cosmos “, with a lot of imagination and an irrepressible desire for clever nonsense,” Neumann repeatedly challenged the Viennese, said the city councilor.
The laudator Herbert Maurer recalled the legendary production “I should be stabbed in the heart” from 1985 and said that Justus Neumann was “always concerned with the heart. He attributes something living to the deadest things. He holds a mirror up to people and seems like a reincarnated Nestroy.”
Justus Neumann began his words of thanks with a hearty laugh: “No one would have thought that I would be standing there like this.” He wanted to “celebrate” his thanks, saying it goes to the people who made his career possible in a variety of ways. These included Hans Gratzer, Hanspeter Horner, Gerhard Gruber, Julius Schwing, Wolfgang Kalal, Elke Hesse, Petere Marboe, Ursula Pasterk, Andreas Mailath-Pokorny and his family.
Biography of Justus Neumann
Justus Neumann was born on March 28, 1948 in Vienna. He graduated from the private Krauss drama school and was then brought by Hans Gratzer to the Neue Theater am Kärntnertor in Walfischgasse, and then to the newly founded theater in 1978. Neumann stayed there for four years and made a name for himself primarily as a Nestroy actor before he began working as a freelance actor. He subsequently toured as far as Australia with the Narrnkastl theater group.
In 1987, Justus Neumann emigrated to Tasmania, but remained loyal to the theater, for example with the theater association Zum unfetten Bären. The success he celebrated with Karl Kraus’ “unplayable” drama “The Last Days of Mankind” in Austria motivated him to show an English version under the title “Last Days of Mankind” in Australia. Neumann was awarded best actor at the Melbourne Fringe Festival. Justus Neumann received three prizes from the Tasmanian “Errol Flynn Awards” for “Alzheimer Symphony”.
On his tours, Justus Neumann repeatedly performed in a small circus tent, where he often performed the great works of world literature. He has also artistically dealt with the Bible and the Epic of Gilgamesh. In 2008, Justus Neumann received the “Stella” Theater Prize in the “Outstanding Production for Children” category for the circus play “Catapult”. In 2011, his adaptation of the Nibelungenlied was nominated for a Nestroy Prize.
Justus Neumann is currently making a guest appearance with the piece “The Wisdom of Mr. Parkinson” at the muth.
Questions & Contact:
Judith Staudinger
Media spokesperson StRin Mag.a Veronica Kaup-Hasler
+43 1 4000 – 811 69
judith.staudinger@wien.gv.at
