Ludwig Anzengruber is an immensely popular nineteenth-century representative of Austrian regional literature or Heimatliteratur. Best known as a dramatist, he created both plays and narratives that featured well constructed, often didactic but intriguing tales reflecting the lives, homelands, and dialect of the common rural people. An actor before he began writing comedies and dramas, a director, and one of the founders of Vienna’s still active Volkstheater, he was a significant contributor to the national theatrical tradition of Austria. His collected works were published by Aufbau Verlag in Berlin in 1980. His two major novels, Der Sternsteinhof [Starstone Farm, 1885], and Der Schandfleck [Mark of Shame, 1877], and collections of short stories, many of them edifying Kalendergeschichten (almanac tales), are less famous than his plays but have often been praised for their engaging plotlines, memorable characters,...
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Citation: Saur, Pamela S.. "Ludwig Anzengruber". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 01 March 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=5889, accessed 15 December 2025.]
