Karl Merkatz (17 November 1930 – 4 December 2022) was an Austrian actor.
Merkatz was born on 17 November 1930 in Wiener Neustadt, the son of a toolmaker. He first wanted to become a carpenter. After World War II he was an active Boy Scout in Wiener Neustadt.[1][2][3][4][5]
However, later he started to enroll in acting lessons in Salzburg, Vienna and Zurich. Then he found employment in theatres, most notably in Munich, Salzburg, Hamburg and Vienna (Theater in der Josefstadt).
During his later career he starred in several roles in television and motion pictures. In the role of Edmund Sackbauer (Mundl) in the 1970s, he became famous as the typical Viennese (Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter). Another big success came with the films "Bockerer" starring as a naive Viennese during the Second World War in Vienna (the later films are set in the subsequent years to 1945).
From 1999, Merkatz was chairman of the human rights group SOS Mitmensch.
Merkatz died in Straßwalchen on 4 December 2022, at the age of 92.[6][7]
Major roles
Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter: literally, A Genuine Viennese Does Not Go Down: In this 1975-1979 television series, which is about the life of a Viennese working-class family, he played Edmund "Mundl" Sackbauer, for which he is most known.
Der Mann von La Mancha: Merkatz played the roles of Miguel de Cervantes and Don Quixote in this 1994 German-language television adaptation of the classic musical Man of La Mancha.[9]
Decorations and awards
Best Actor (1981) and Film Award (1982) for The Bockerer (Part 1)
Grand Gold Decoration for Services to the province of Lower Austria (2002)
References
^Philipp Pertl; Karl Merkatz (2010). "Alter Meister mit kleinen Fehlern". Skills-Pfadfinderinnen und Aussen.Magazin zum Abenteuer des Lebens. (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs und Monopol Verlag: 68–69.
^Kati Kieser; Lisa Niederdorfer (2010). "Dabei gewesen". Skills-Pfadfinderinnen und Aussen.Magazin zum Abenteuer des Lebens. (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs und Monopol Verlag: 66.
^Emanuel Riedmann (2009). "Die Werte des ewigen Geburtstagskindes" (in German). economy austria-Unabhängige Plattform für Wirtschaft und Bildung. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
^"Eingeschlagene Pfade". Skills-100 Jahre Pfadfinder.Magazin zum Abenteuer des Lebens. (in German). Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs und Monopol Verlag: 104. 2007.
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