Qualtinger, Helmut

(1928–1986)

   Cabaretist, actor, and satirical essayist, Qualtinger was best known as the creator of the characters Herr Travnicek and especially Herr Karl, the Austrian Mister Everybody. Herr Karl, created in collaboration with Carl B. Merz (1906–1979), was a man much given to the pleasures of the table and the boudoir, in that order. His chief aim in life was to get along without unduly bestirring himself. He commented on much that was serious—the July Putsch of 1927, political party life in his own Austria—but committed himself to nothing other than avoiding responsibility. His cynicism could sometimes be cruel—his view of women was grossly instrumental—but was never far from humorous. The production began as a television show in 1961. Qualtinger was also a staple of the cabaret theater that plays a major role on Vienna’s intimate stages, such as the Lieber Augustin and the Volkstheater. His performances were widely recorded. He was also known for his readings from the Last Days of Mankind by Karl Kraus and from Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.