Thomas Bernhard
The places of energy of the eccentric thinker
Thomas Bernhard, the elusive and difficult figure, was a ruthless literary mirror: precise and pointed, he dissected the Austrian soul. His repetitive tirades of hate became an art form; passionately, Bernhard would rant, seeing idiots, lies, and Nazis everywhere. This stirred anger, sparked scandals in Austria, and garnered international attention.
His play "Heldenplatz" became known as "the greatest theater scandal of the Second Republic" in Austrian history. The world premiere took place on November 4, 1988, at the Vienna Burgtheater, where Thomas Bernhard was personally present just before his death.
Thomas Bernhard's favourite places in nature & the city
The Viennese coffee house
Insulting Austria, or "polluting the nest," is only half the truth about the polarizing writer. There was also the peaceful Thomas Bernhard. For instance, when he worked on his plays, novels, and short stories at his regular coffee house, the Café Bräunerhof in the center of Vienna.
Here, the waiters still address you with "gnä' Frau, gnä' Herr," an old, polite Viennese greeting ("gracious lady/sir"). With globe lamps, rectangular stone tabletops, wooden chairs, and padded benches, the space almost feels like a living room.
Then and now, some guests hide behind the pages of international newspapers, sipping on a Wiener Melange, perhaps enjoying a slice of apple strudel—the very essence of classic Viennese coffee house culture.
Here, people are undisturbed, with nothing to distract them from what truly matters—an atmosphere appreciated by artists from various scenes, who just as happily frequented the Bräunerhof.
Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien
Thomas Bernhard didn’t need much to feel at ease. At the Kunsthistorisches Museum, all it took was a bench in front of the painting "Portrait of an Old Bearded Man." Painted around 1570 by Tintoretto, it also appears in Bernhard's novel "Old Masters."
In the story, music critic Reger visits the venerable museum with meticulous regularity for over 30 years. From 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., he contemplates the portrait of the old bearded man, reflecting on the absurdity of art, life in general, and specifically life in Austria.
Homes as personal places of energy
His places of retreat were essential for Thomas Bernhard. As a "high guest," he regularly dined at the Gasthof Klinger in Gaspoltshofen, a small village in Upper Austria. The culinary highlight was the Frittatensuppe (clear beef broth with strips of pancakes, "Frittaten"), which was celebrated in his play "The Theater Maker."
Three houses served as actual refuges for Thomas Bernhard. He meticulously renovated a decaying 14th-century farmhouse in Ohlsdorf in the Traunviertel region: "The property is centuries old, situated in front of the Höllengebirge mountains, in a region I have always considered my true homeland, by origin and preference," Bernhard wrote.
However, as his fame grew, the writer was visited by curious onlookers. To escape, he bought "die Krucka," an old, well-hidden farmhouse near Gmunden on Lake Traun. Shortly after, he acquired the Quirchtenhaus in Ottnang near Wolfsegg in Upper Austria.
Nature and the leisurely walk
Due to a respiratory illness, Thomas Bernhard was too weak for strenuous physical exertion, but he loved walking. Walking was also a central theme in his works. His characters walk to think and think to walk. He takes this principle to the extreme in his story "Walking."
Those who want to—quite literally—follow in Thomas Bernhard's footsteps should set out on foot:
Take his favorite walking path, which he walked during his time in Grafenhof sanatorium in the Salzburger Pongau. The path, around 5 km (3.11 miles) long, is now lined with information panels that tell of the poet's key moments.
In Ohlsdorf in Upper Austria, there is also a circular trail that explores the region that inspired Bernhard and appears repeatedly in his works. This is not a "follow-in-the-steps-of" tour, but aims to make Bernhard's motif of "walking and thinking" an experience.