Ernst Hinterberger facts for kids

Ernst Hinterberger (born October 17, 1931 – died May 14, 2012) was a famous Austrian writer. He wrote many novels, especially detective novels, plays, and very popular TV shows called sitcoms. His TV scripts were special because they used real Vienna dialect, which is how people speak in Vienna.

The Life of Ernst Hinterberger

Ernst Hinterberger was born and passed away in Vienna, Austria. His father was a typesetter who didn't have a job and died when Ernst was only seven years old.

Ernst first trained to be an electrician. Then, from 1950 to 1952, he went to police school in Vienna. He wanted to be a police officer. However, he had to leave the police force soon after starting because he suddenly needed glasses. At that time, police officers were not allowed to wear glasses.

After leaving the police, he worked as a laborer. In 1958, he got married. He then went to library school and worked as a librarian for ten years. He worked in places where adults could learn and read.

When these libraries closed in 1968, he started working in a factory, handling shipping. He stayed there until he retired in 1991. Even though he was a talented writer, he didn't want to rely only on writing for all his money.

How Ernst Hinterberger Started Writing

Ernst Hinterberger found his love for books in the 1950s. He was inspired by a German writer named Oskar Maria Graf. Ernst began writing his own stories when he was about 24 or 25 years old.

For a long time, since about 1954, Hinterberger lived in a small apartment in Vienna. His first wife, Margarete, passed away in 2001 after they had been married for 45 years. He later remarried a woman named Karla.

Ernst Hinterberger was a Buddhist. He even wrote poems in a Chinese style, but these poems were never published in German. He was cremated, and his ashes are buried in Vienna Central Cemetery.

Ernst Hinterberger's Works

Ernst Hinterberger wrote many different types of stories. Here are some of his most well-known works.

Books by Ernst Hinterberger

• 1965 Beweisaufnahme (Taking Evidence), a novel
• 1966 Salz der Erde (Salt of the Earth), a novel
• 1975 Wer fragt nach uns: Geschichten von kleinen Leuten, armen Hunden und Aussenseitern (Who Asks for Us: Stories of Little People, Poor Dogs and Outsiders), a historical novel
• 1977 Das Abbruchhaus (The Demolition House), a novel
• 1984 Jogging, a detective novel
• 1988 Superzwölfer (Super Twelver), a detective novel
• 1989 Kleine Leute (Little People), a novel
• 1991 Das fehlende W (The Missing W), a detective novel
• 1992 Und über uns die Heldenahnen ... (And Above Us the Heroic Ancestors . . .), a detective novel
• 1993 Alleingang (Walking Alone), a detective novel
• 1993 Kleine Blumen (Little Flowers), a detective novel
• 1997 Zahltag (Pay Day), a detective novel
• 1998 Die dunkle Seite (The Dark Side), a detective novel
• 2002 Ein Abschied. Lebenserinnerungen (A Farewell: Life Memories)

Plays by Ernst Hinterberger

• Im Käfig (In The Cage)
• Immer ist ja nicht Sonntag (After All It's not Always Sunday)
• Die Puppe (The Doll)
• Offene Gesellschaft (Open Society)
• Swimmingpool

Television Shows by Ernst Hinterberger

Ernst Hinterberger was very famous for his TV sitcoms. A sitcom is a funny TV show that usually has the same characters in different everyday situations.

• 1975–79 Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter (A Genuine Viennese Does not Go Under), a sitcom with 24 episodes.
• 1992–99 Kaisermühlen-Blues, a sitcom with 64 episodes. This show was so popular that it led to another show:
• 2000–05 Trautmann. This show was about a detective character who first appeared in Kaisermühlen-Blues.

Awards and Honors

Ernst Hinterberger received many awards for his writing and contributions.

• City of Vienna Achievement Award, 1971
• Anton Wildgans Prize of Austrian Industry, for his book Wer fragt nach uns, 1974
• Golden Romy, a TV award from Kurier magazine, 1993
• Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1994
• Gold Award for Service of the City of Vienna, 1996
• Ehrenkieberer (Honorary Cop), an award from an Austrian police association, shared with Wolfgang Böck, 2001
• Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art, 1st class, 2003
• Goldener Rathausmann (Gold Town Hall Man) of the City of Vienna, 2007
• Buchliebling Lifetime Award, 2009
• Axel Corti Prize for his work over a lifetime, 2010