Franz Karl Ginzkey


Franz Karl Ginzkey was an Austro-Hungarian officer, poet and writer. His arguably most famous book Hatschi Bratschis Luftballon captivated generations of children.

Life

Ginzkey, son of a Bohemian German professional officer of the Austrian Navy, was in the imperial army until 1897. During that period he was intermittently also commander of the as barracks used Fortress Hohensalzburg. From 1897 to 1914 he worked as a cartographer at the Militärgeographischen Institute in Vienna, afterwards in the war archive. Since 1920, he was a retired military member and then worked as a freelance writer. At the time of the Austro-Fascism, he was from 1934 to 1938 Member of the Council of State and after 1938 came to terms with the leaders of National Socialism and even joined the NSDAP. He was friends with Max Mell and Stefan Zweig, and furthermore with Anton Faistauer and Carl Zuckmayer. Moreover, Ginzkey participated in the founding of the Salzburg Festival and for decades was a member of its board of trustees. Since 1944 he lived in Seewalchen at Lake Attersee.
After the end of war Ginzkeys Die Front in Tirol was blacklisted in the Soviet zone of occupation.
On his 100th birthday a Franz-Karl-Ginzkey monument was erected in Seewalchen at Lake Attersee.
He rests in a grave of honor at the Vienna Central Cemetery.
Ginzkey is numbered among the circle of newromantic poets and novelists. One of his literary discoverers was Peter Rosegger. A part of his work shows great connection to Salzburg. This witness the following works:
  • Wie ich Herr auf Hohensalzburg ward When I was master at Hohensalzburg
  • Altsalzburger Bilder nach 10 Federzeichnungen Altsalzburger images after 10 pen drawings
  • Jakobus und die Frauen Jacob and the Women
  • Der seltsame Soldat The strange soldier
  • Der Heimatsucher The home searcher
  • Das Antlitz Salzburgs The face of Salzburg
  • Salzburg und das Salzkammergut Salzburg and the Salzkammergut
  • Prinz Tunora Prince Tunora
  • Salzburg, sein Volk und seine Trachten Salzburg, its people and its costumes
In 1968 the square between Alpenstraße and Adolf-Schemel-Straße in the Salzburg district of Salzburg-Süd was named in his honor Ginzkeyplatz.

Literary works (a selection)

Hatschi Bratschis Luftballon, 1904Der von der Vogelweide, 1912Der Wiesenzaun. Erzählung, 1913 Aus der Werkstatt des Lyrikers. Vortrag, 1913Den Herren Feinden! Ein Trutz- und Mahnlied, 1914Die Front in Tirol, 1916Der Gaukler von Bologna, Roman, 1916Befreite Stunde. Neue Gedichte, 1917Der Doppelspiegel. Betrachtungen und Erzählungen, 1920Rositta, 1921Der Prinz von Capestrano, 1921Von wunderlichen Wegen. 7 Erzählungen, 1922Brigitte und Regine, Novelle, 1923Die Reise nach Komakuku. Geschichten aus seltsamer Jugend, 1923Der Weg zu Oswalda. Erählung, 1924Der seltsame Soldat, 1925Der Kater Ypsilon. Novellen, 1926Der Gott und die Schauspielerin, 1928Florians wundersame Reise über die Tapete, 1931Drei Frauen. Rosita - Agnete - Oswalda, 1931Gespenster auf Hirschberg. Aus der hinterlassenen Handschrift des Majors von Baltram, 1931Das verlorene Herz. Ein Märchenspiel, 1931Magie des Schicksals. Novelle, 1932Das Antlitz Salzburgs, 1933Prinz Tunora, Roman, 1934Salzburg und das Salzkammergut, 1934Salzburg, sein Volk und seine Trachten, 1934Liselotte und ihr Ritter oder Warum nicht Romantik?, Roman, 1936Sternengast. Neue Gedichte, 1937Der selige Brunnen. Eine Raphael Donner-Novelle, 1940Meistererzählungen, 1940Erschaffung der Eva. Ein epischer Gesang, 1941Zeit und Menschen meiner Jugend, 1942Taniwani. Ein fröhliches Fischbuch, 1947Der Heimatsucher. Ein Leben und eine Sehnsucht, 1948Genius Mozart, 1949Die Geschichte einer stillen Frau, Roman, 1951Der Träumerhansl, 1952Altwiener Balladen, 1955Der Tanz auf einem Bein. Ein Seitensprung ins Wunderliche, 1956Franz Karl Ginzkey. Ausgewählte Werke in vier Bänden, 1960

Decorations and awards

In 1968, Ginzkeyplatz was named in his honour in the Salzburg district of Salzburg-Süd between Alpenstrasse und Adolf-Schemel-Strasse. Ginzkey's 100th birthday in 1971 was marked by a Franz-Karl Ginzkey monument on the Attersee Seewalchen.