"Krone" interview

Paulus Manker: “I’ll get through it all!”

Paulus Manker in "Alma"

(Bild: Sebastian Kreuzberger)

The Viennese director, actor, book and screenwriter Paulus Manker talks about slander, bankruptcy and rumors about a missing million euros in an interview with "Krone"!

He wrote Austrian theater history with "Alma - A Show Biz ans Ende" and the "Last Days of Mankind". The Viennese Paulus Manker (66), director, actor, book and screenwriter, has also caused an international sensation: "Alma" has been a theater sensation since 1996 - in Venice, Lisbon, Los Angeles, Berlin, Prague, Jerusalem, on three continents "Only New York is still missing, where Alma Mahler died. We'll make up for that in 2027."

He is proud of his successes. What annoys him and makes him react sharply are the "stressful years" with lawsuits, bankruptcies and scandals. But the optimist Manker fights: "I'm tough as nails, I get through everything, I survive everything!"

Now Manker is in court - against Christian Zeller, the owner of the Südbahnhotel am Semmering. Manker had negotiated a cooperation agreement with Zeller to show "Alma" and Karl Kraus' "The Last Days of Mankind" at the Südbahnhotel. Disputes followed. Manker: "He has been promising for years to reopen the Südbahnhotel in splendor - he is not keeping his promise. He promised subsidies to the Volksoper - and never paid them. That's true, I will prove everything in court." The indictment against Manker also states that he called Christian Zeller a "psychopath", a "charlatan" and a "money-grabbing canaille" and claims that Zeller "attacked two performances with a gang of thugs in order to force his people in with illegal tickets".

Paulus Manker takes Christian Zeller, the owner of the Südbahnhotel am Semmering, to court.

(Bild: Wolfgang Spitzbart .)

Manker is also involved in another lawsuit: against the Munich-based Litag publishing house, which is trying to prohibit performances of "Alma". "For 28 years, I have never asked the publisher to allow me to perform 'Alma'. This is my successful production, my invention, the most successful production in Austrian theater history with almost 600 performances. We have always billed and paid correctly. A total of 330,000 euros in royalties. Last year, however, this was not possible because we were sent into bankruptcy through no fault of our own. The Südbahnhotel sold decorations from us in violation of the law. That was prohibited as they were part of our bankruptcy assets." The public prosecutor's office is now looking into this. Manker is glad that "all the important items - costumes, spotlights, loudspeakers, furniture - were brought to safety". And rumors about a missing million? "That was our ticket revenue, and it was used to finance our theatrical performances."