Die Knef - von Trümmern und Träumen - Theater Akzent - Wien - 2026

Theater Akzent, Wien

To mark the 100th anniversary of Hildegard Knef’s birth, Anita Eberwein dedicates a theatrical evening—both moving and powerful— to the great actress, singer, and author. Hildegard Knef was far more than an actress, singer, or author. She was a woman who constantly reinvented herself, fought against adversity, and unwaveringly followed her own path. With “Die Knef—of Ruins and Dreams,” Anita Eberwein paints a portrait of an extraordinary artist—from her childhood in war-torn Berlin through the early postwar years, Hollywood, and Broadway, all the way to the great successes, scandals, crises, and new beginnings of her life. The result is not a nostalgic song recital, but a musical chamber play that reveals the person behind the legend. The focus is on courage, the thirst for freedom, longing, vulnerability, and the strength to start anew time and again. Well-known chansons such as “Für mich soll’s rote Rosen regnen,” “Ich glaub’, ’ne Dame werd ich nie,” “17 Millimeter,” “Das Glück kennt nur Minuten,” and “Ich bin zu müde, um schlafen zu gehen” are interwoven with texts, memories, and staged moments to form a multi-layered portrait of a woman who was far ahead of her time. Anita Eberwein is accompanied by the Swing Kollektiv Wien under the musical direction of Herbert Otahal. An evening about a woman who never wanted to conform—and whose questions about freedom, self-determination, and identity remain as relevant today as ever.

Musical Director: Herbert Otahal