Carl Karlweis, originally Karl Weiss[1] (23 November 1850, in Vienna – 27 October 1901, in Vienna) was an Austrian dramatist and short story writer. Of Jewish ancestry, he converted to Protestantism in 1889.[2]
He wrote numerous short tales and novels, some in the Viennese dialect. Together with Hermann Bahr and Vinzenz Chiavacci [de], he wrote comedies and folk plays, which were performed at the Volkstheater. In 1896, his play Der kleine Mann (The Little Man) was awarded the Raimund-Preis [de] for playwrights; named in honor of the actor and dramatist, Ferdinand Raimund.
For many years he suffered from a serious stomach problem. What would turn out to be his last play, The New Simson, was written in 1901 and presented at the Volkstheater, with Franz Tewele [de] and Helene Odilon in the lead roles. It was a major success. He died a few months later, after taking the "cure" at the spa in Lovran.
He was married to Emilie, née Kraus (1864-1938). They had two children; Marta [de], who became a writer, and Oskar, a stage and film actor.
In 1919, a street in Vienna's Währing district was named after him.
Heinrich Glücksmann: "Erinnerung an Karlweis". In: Neues Wiener Journal, Nr.10920, April 1924, pg.6.
Peter Sprengel: Geschichte der deutschsprachigen Literatur 1870–1900. Von der Reichsgründung bis zur Jahrhundertwende, Vol.9. C. H. Beck, Munich 1998, ISBN3-406-44104-1, pg.428. (limited preview at Google Books).
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