–
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Formula 1 world champion Jochen Rindt, the GrazMuseum has put together an exhibition around the myth of himself. Due to the corona pandemic, the opening had to be postponed, but now the “very finely and deeply considered” show can be seen, including archive images and material that have never been shown, said Director Otto Hochreiter during the press tour on Tuesday.
City Councilor for Culture Günter Riegler (ÖVP) raved about Rindt: “He embodies everything that heroes and stars embody. He was Austria’s first Formula 1 world champion and he was torn from the middle of his life. ”Then there was Formula 1 of the 1960s and 1970s with“ chain smokers, parties and playboys ”. Rindt was rightly a big star. The exhibition is not only intended to illuminate the myth and his personality, but also his living environment and his connection to Graz, where he was buried in 1970 after his fatal accident in Monza at the central cemetery in the presence of tens of thousands of mourners.
Hochreiter described that it is not the first Rindt exhibition at the GrazMuseum, because there has already been one with a series of reflections by contemporary artists: “But this is a cultural and historical analysis with a strong connection to Graz.” It shows how that Has shaped the city of Rindt and what else connects it with him.
Rindt was born in Mainz, the son of a woman from Graz. However, she died with Rindt’s father, which is why the boy was brought to his grandparents in Graz and grew up in the Styrian capital. The exhibition shows exhibits from his childhood years, in which heeled house he lived on the Ruckerlberggürtel and how he went from a shy child to a rebellious youth. When he came to the Pestalozzi-Gymnasium and drove a Lohner moped model “Sissy”, he was already considered a street horror because of his fast driving style. Several parking tickets issued – made out to the student Rindt – prove this.
One of the four rooms of the show is dedicated to his childhood and youth. Another shows his qualities as a racing driver and there are also very special exhibits on display: for example his calendar from 1970, where he manually entered the momentous racing weekend in Monza, or a steering wheel from his accident in Spain and his beloved briefcase, which he had received from his wife Nina as a present.
Some of the exhibits come from private collections by Erich Walitsch and Alois Schweighofer, explained curator Annette Rainer. Two special exhibits will be added to the show at the beginning of October, namely two racing cars from Rindt: a Lotus and a Ford GT. In addition to a room with memories of Rindt’s companions, which can be heard as sound recordings, the last of the four rooms is dedicated to the death of the racing legend. You can see full-format pictures of the mourners as well as articles from newspapers and radio recordings.
The exhibition is part of several commemorative events that were planned on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of death and were partly postponed due to Corona. On October 7th, long-time Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone, his current successor Stefano Domenicali and FIA President Jean Todt are said to have confirmed their attendance. Widow Nina, daughter Natascha and half-brother Uwe Eisleben are also expected.
–
