Details

In the year 2055, Austria has largely abolished public memory. In Franz von Strolchen’s bleak albeit humorous vision, Holocaust commemoration has become a private matter, kept alive by volunteers and activists. It is a future that may not be too far off, shaped by a lack of eyewitnesses and a concept of truth redefined by artificial intelligence and far-right ideology. Austria Demenzia is a fictional memorial event blending performance, powerful imagery, and music show—an evening that explores the disappearance of memory and the desperate attempt to hold on to it.

Christian Winkler (1981, Graz), also known as Franz von Strolchen, is an author and director. He frequently deals with the boundaries between reality and fiction and the depiction of social dynamics in which the seemingly ordinary can turn into the astonishing. His works have been shown at institutions such as Thalia Theater, Hamburg; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; Kampnagel, Hamburg; Schaubühne, Berlin; Luzerner Theater; and MOT Festival, Skopje. Winkler has received the Retzhofer Drama Prize and the Ö1 Hörspielpreis der Kritik, among others. He lives in Hamburg.

Commissioned by steirischer herbst ’26
Produced by steirischer herbst ’26 in coproduction with Theater am Lend, klagenfurter ensemble, and Theater Nestroyhof Hamakom
With the kind support of Gaulhofer Industrie-Holding

German with English surtitles
For ages 14 and up
90 min.

Photo: Vincent Seidl