German première

Friedrich Zawrel grew up in Vienna in the 1930s. During the German occupation of Austria during the Second World War, he was imprisoned as a child in the »Spiegelgrund«, the second-largest »juvenile home« in the German Reich: hundreds of sick, handicapped and supposedly genetically inferior children and young adults were »treated« and murdered there. The institution’s medic Dr. Gross evaluates Zawrel as »genetically and socially inferior« … but Zawrel survived and managed to escape.

The piece »F. Zawrel – erbbiologisch und sozial minderwertig« (»F. Zawrel – genetically and socially inferior«) is based on a true fate and historic facts. Most of those involved were never held responsible after the war. After great efforts by Zawrel, there was finally a trial in 2000, which was then suspended due to Dr. Gross’ supposed dementia. Friedrich Zawrel was one of the most important witnesses in addressing euthanasia crimes in Vienna. He was able to see several performances of the piece before he died in February 2015 at the age of 85.

After numerous very personal talks with Friedrich Zawrel, Nikolaus Habjan and Simon Meusburger created an unbelievably enthralling, touching and disturbing piece. Nikolaus Habjan’s emphatic performance with his clacking-mouth puppets generates simultaneous alienation and identification. In 2012, the piece received the most important Austrian theatre award, the Nestroy-Prize, in the category of »Best independent production«.