{{short description|Austrian actor}}[[File:USIS - Josef Meinrad 1.jpg|thumb|Waiting for his stage entry in ''Jedermann'', Salzburg 1947]] '''Josef Meinrad''' ({{IPA|de-AT|ˈjoːsɛf ˈmaɪnraːd|lang}}; 21 April 1913 – 18 February 1996) was an Austrian actor.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Schauspieler 10 |url=http://knerger.de/html/meinradschauspieler_10.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |website=knerger.de |language=de}}</ref> From 1959 until his death in 1996, Meinrad held the Republic of Austria's [[Iffland-Ring]], which passes from actor to actor — each bequeathing the ring to the next holder, judging that actor to be the "most significant and most worthy actor of the German-speaking theatre".<ref name=":0" />
==Life== Josef Meinrad was born '''Josef Moučka''' in [[Vienna]], as the fourth and youngest child of the [[Trams in Vienna|tram]] driver Franz Moučka and his second wife Katharina. For his secondary education, he received a scholarship in a school run by [[Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer|Redemptorists]] in [[Katzelsdorf]] near [[Wiener Neustadt]]. At first, he wanted to become a priest, but he left the boarding school in 1929 and began a commercial apprenticeship, while taking acting lessons.
He made his public acting debut during a theatre festival at [[Korneuburg]] in 1930, by which time he called himself Josef Meinrad. Nevertheless, he finished his training and worked as a commercial clerk until 1935. From that time on, he performed on various smaller stages, passing his acting exam in 1937. His first brief engagement at the Vienna [[Burgtheater]] was in 1939, he then played at the German Theatre in [[Metz]], mainly in front of ''[[Wehrmacht]]'' soldiers.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=Josef Meinrad |url=https://www.grossgmain.info/en/content/josef-meinrad |access-date=29 September 2023 |website=Großgmain}}</ref>
After the war, Meinrad again performed in Vienna. At the [[Salzburg Festival]] in 1947 he appeared in ''[[Jedermann (play)|Jedermann]]''. Later that year, Meinrad became a full-time permanent member of the Burgtheater company and was part of that ensemble until his 65th birthday in 1978. He played 195 roles on that stage and was famous for his performances in comedies by [[Johann Nestroy]] and [[Ferdinand Raimund]]. In 1968 he played the title role in the German-language premiere of [[Dale Wasserman]]'s musical ''[[Man of La Mancha]]'' at the [[Theater an der Wien]]. He also appeared in several Films and TV series, chiefly known for his role as an adjutant in the ''[[Sissi (film)|Sissi]]'' trilogy starring [[Romy Schneider]].
Meinrad was the keeper of the [[Iffland-Ring]], which for 200 years has been given to the most important actor of the German-speaking theatre; he passed the ring on to [[Bruno Ganz]].<ref name=":0" />
From 1950 until his death he was married to Germaine Renée Clement, who died in 2006. Meinrad died in 1996 from cancer, aged 82, in [[Großgmain]] and is buried there.<ref name=":1" />
==Honours and awards== * 1955: Appointed Kammerschauspieler * 1959: Received the [[Iffland-Ring]] * 1961: Blue Ribbon Award from the National Council Screen * 1963: Kainz Medal * 1963: [[Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class]] * 1973: Honorary Member of the Vienna Burgtheater * 1980: Honorary Ring of the city of Bregenz * 1983: [[Ferdinand Raimund|Raymund]] Ring of the Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture * 1983: Honorary Ring of the Vienna * 1985: [[Johann Nestroy|Nestroy]] Ring * 1997: Josef Meinrad-Platz near the Vienna Burgtheater<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-01-04 |title=Archivmeldung: Wien erhält "Josef-Meinrad-Platz" |url=https://www.wien.gv.at/rk/msg/1997/0911/009.html |access-date=2023-09-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104175411/https://www.wien.gv.at/rk/msg/1997/0911/009.html |archive-date=2017-01-04 |language=de}}</ref>
== Films == {{div col}} * ''{{ill|Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt (film)|de|3=Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt|lt=Die Welt dreht sich verkehrt}}'' (1947) as Agha * ''Triumph der Liebe'' (1947) as Kinesias * ''[[The Trial (1948 film)|The Trial]]'' (1948, about the [[Tiszaeszlár affair]]) as Bary, investigating judge * ''Rendezvous im [[Salzkammergut]]'' (1948) as Peter Baumkirchner * ''[[Anni (1948 film)|Anni]]'' (1948) as Heinrich Buchgraber * ''[[Fregola (film)|Fregola]]'' (1948) as Dr. Wegscheider * ''Das Siegel Gottes'' (1949) as Father Clemens<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fritsche |first=Maria |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wWhFAAAAQBAJ |title=Homemade Men in Postwar Austrian Cinema: Nationhood, Genre and Masculinity |date=2013-05-01 |publisher=Berghahn Books |isbn=978-0-85745-946-6 |pages=128 |language=en}}</ref> * ''[[Nothing But Coincidence]]'' (1949) as Willy Wendel * ''Mein Freund, der nicht nein sagen konnte'' (1949) as Dr. Leopold Bachmann * ''[[Bonus on Death]]'' (1950) as Seaman Matrose * ''[[Theodore the Goalkeeper]]'' (1950) as Theo Haslinger Jr. * ''{{Ill|Jetzt schlägt's 13|de|Jetzt schlägt’s 13}}'' (1950) as Dr. Mario Jaconis * ''[[Archduke Johann's Great Love]]'' (1950) as A friend of [[Archduke John of Austria|Archduke Johann]] * ''Der Wallnerbub'' (1950) as Karl * ''[[Love and Blood]]'' (1951) as Otto Schulz * ''[[Shadows Over Naples]]'' (1951) as Otto Schulz * ''Eva erbt das Paradies... ein Abenteuer im Salzkammergut'' (1951) as Hans Holzinger * ''[[The Colourful Dream]]'' (1952) as Tobby Busch * ''[[1. April 2000]]'' (1952) as Prime Minister of Austria * ''{{Ill|Fräulein Casanova|de}}'' (1953) as Rolf Reimann * ''[[The Spendthrift (1953 film)|The Spendthrift]]'' (1953) as Valentin * ''[[Money from the Air]]'' (1954) as Stefan Gregor * ''Kaisermanöver'' (1954) as Wondrasch * ''[[Walking Back into the Past]]'' (1954) as Franz Nägele * ''Die Deutschmeister'' (1955) as Hofrat Hofwirt * ''[[Don Juan (1955 film)|Don Juan]]'' (1955) as Leporello * ''[[His Daughter is Called Peter (1955 film)|His Daughter is Called Peter]]'' (1955) as Dr. Felix Weininger * ''[[Sarajevo (1955 film)|Sarajevo]]'' (1955) as Chauffeur * ''[[The Congress Dances (1955 film)|The Congress Dances]]'' (1955) as Franzl Eder * ''[[Sissi (film)|Sissi]]'' (1955) as Major Böckl * ''Ein tolles Hotel'' (1956) as Edi Schlawinsky * ''[[Opera Ball (1956 film)|Opera Ball]]'' (1956) as Paul Hollinger * ''[[The Trapp Family|Die Trapp-Familie]]'' (1956, cf. ''[[The Sound of Music]]'') as Dr. Franz Wasner * ''[[Sissi – The Young Empress|Sissi – Die junge Kaiserin]]'' (1956) as Major Böckl * ''August, der Halbstarke'' (1957) as August Rums, genannt Gustl, Boxer * ''[[The Schimeck Family (1957 film)|The Schimeck Family]]'' (1957) as Baumann * ''[[The Unexcused Hour (1957 film)|The Unexcused Hour]]'' (1957) as Fabian * ''[[Goodbye, Franziska (1957 film)|Goodbye, Franziska]]'' (1957) as Dr. Leitner * ''[[Sissi – Fateful Years of an Empress|Sissi – Schicksalsjahre einer Kaiserin]]'' (1957) as Lieutenant Colonel Böckl * ''Man ist nur zweimal jung'' (1958) * ''Solang' die Sterne glüh'n'' (1958) as Karl Eibisch * ''[[The Trapp Family in America]]'' (1958) as Dr. Franz Wasner * ''{{Ill|Whisky, Wodka, Wienerin|de}}'' (1959) as Ferdinand Windberger - Legationsrat * ''[[Eva (1958 film)|Eva]]'' (1959) as Mr. Dassau * ''{{ill|Die schöne Lügnerin|de}}'' (1959) as Baron Hager * ''[[Adorable Arabella]]'' (1959) as Archibald Duncan * ''[[Napoleon II, the Eagle]]'' (1961) as [[Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor|Emperor Francis II]] * ''Der Bauer als Millionär'' (1961) as Fortunatus Wurzel * ''Liliom'' (1963, TV movie based on ''[[Liliom]]'') as Liliom * ''[[The Cardinal]]'' (1963) as [[Theodor Innitzer|Cardinal Innitzer]] * ''[[The Spendthrift (1964 film)|The Spendthrift]]'' (1964) as Valentin * ''{{ill|Don Quixote (1965 TV series)|de|3=Don Quijote von der Mancha|lt=Don Quixote}}'' (1965, TV miniseries based on ''[[Don Quixote]]'') as Don Quixote * ''[[Father Brown (1966 TV series)|Father Brown]]'' (1966–1972, TV series) as [[Father Brown]] * ''{{ill|Der Tod läuft hinterher|de}}'' (1967, TV Mini-Series) as Gaston * ''Was ihr wollt'' (1973, TV movie based on ''[[Twelfth Night]]'') as [[Malvolio]] * ''{{ill|The Robber Hotzenplotz (1974 film)|de|3=Der Räuber Hotzenplotz (1974)|lt=The Robber Hotzenplotz}}'' (1974) as Magician Petrosilius Zwackelmann * ''Die schöne Helena'' (1974, TV movie based on ''[[La belle Hélène]]'') as [[Menelaus]] * ''{{ill|Gaslight (1977 film)|de|Gaslicht (1977)|lt=Gaslight}}'' (1977, TV movie based on ''[[Gas Light]]'') as Jack Manningham * ''Es war einmal der Mensch'' (1978, TV Series) as Narrator (German version, voice) * ''[[Ringstraßenpalais (TV series)|Ringstraßenpalais]]'' (1983, TV Series) as Emil Hoffeneder * ''[[Waldheimat (TV series)|Waldheimat]]'' (1984, TV Series) as Pfarrer * ''Die Fledermaus'' (1984, TV movie based on ''[[Die Fledermaus]]'') as Frosch * ''[[Der Sonne entgegen]]'' (1985, TV Series) as Luca * ''Der Unbestechliche'' (1986, TV movie) as Theodor * ''Der Vorhang fällt'' (1986, TV movie) as Jakob * ''[[Herschel und die Musik der Sterne]]'' (1986, TV movie) as [[Joseph Haydn]] {{div col end}} He appeared twice in the German TV series, ''[[Der Kommissar (TV series)|Der Kommissar]]''.
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{Commons category-inline}} *{{IMDb name|0576938}}
{{Iffland-Ring}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Meinrad, Josef}} [[Category:1913 births]] [[Category:1996 deaths]] [[Category:Austrian male stage actors]] [[Category:Austrian male voice actors]] [[Category:Iffland-Ring]] [[Category:Austrian people of Czech descent]] [[Category:Male actors from Vienna]] [[Category:Recipients of the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class]] [[Category:Austrian male film actors]] [[Category:Austrian male television actors]] [[Category:20th-century Austrian male actors]] [[Category:Deaths from cancer in Austria]]