Max Burghardt

Max Burghardt (November 27, 1893 – January 22, 1977) was a German actor, director, and president of the Cultural Association of the GDR.

Life Burghardt was born in Wickendorf, Schwerin, where his maternal grandfather owned a small estate near Lake Schwerin. He lived there for about three to four years and then moved with his family to Berlin-Moabit. One of his school friends was Gustav von Wangenheim, who later also became known as an actor. Burghardt later stated that his first visit to the theater, to see the Friedrich Schiller play The Robbers at the Schiller Theater in Berlin, inspired him to become an actor.

Following his parents' divorce in 1910, Burghardt moved to Rostock. In Rostock he worked initially for an insurance company and later for a bookseller.

Burghardt studied at the Maria Moissi Acting School in Berlin from 1913 to 1914. At the acting school he adopted aspects of the acting style of Alexander Moissi.

At the beginning of the First World War, Burghardt volunteered for the Imperial German Navy in Kiel, but was rejected. Later, he volunteered for the 17th Dragoon Regiment in Ludwigslust and joined the cavalry.

Intendant of the German State Opera in Berlin From 1954 to 1963, Burghardt was intendent of the Berlin State Opera. He was appointed by Johannes R. Becher, Minister of Culture of the German Democratic Republic. He replaced Henner Allmeroth. The State Opera building was still under construction, so the Admiralspalast served as a temporary venue.

Burghardt attempted to recruit Erich Kleiber as a conductor at the State Opera. Kleiber came to Berlin, but ultimately declined the role for political reasons. Franz Konwitschny became the new music director in Kleiber's place. Various other artists left the State Opera around this time, including Lovro von Matačić.

The rebuilt Berlin State Opera building was opened on September 4, 1955, with Iphigenia in Aulis. The performance of Wozzeck by Alban Berg was an early success for the opera. Other notable performances under Burghardt's tenure include: the Neue Odyssee by Robert Hanell, Der Revisor by Werner Egk, Krutnava by Eugon Suchon, Richard Wagner's Götterdämmerung, Werner Egk 's opera Peer Gynt was performed to mark his 60th birthday. The work had its premiere at the German State Opera in 1938.and Ottmar Gerster's The Witch of Passau, a dramatic opera ballad set during the Peasants' War.

In 1958, Burghardt became president of the Cultural Association of the German Democratic Republic, succeeding Johannes R. Becher. In 1959, he became a member of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party.

The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 imposed challenges for the opera. Around 200 employees residing in West Berlin terminated their contracts. Although the employees could still cross into East Berlin after the construction of the wall, their salaries could no longer be converted from East German marks into West German marks. Despite these challenges, the opera was still able to proceed with a November 22, 1961, performance of Fidelio.

Facing increasing health problems, Burghardt asked the then minister of culture Hans Bentzien to release him from directorship of the State Opera; to allow him to concentrate exclusively on his role as president of the Cultural Association. Burghardt ultimately left his position at the State Opera in 1963, with his recommendation for successor, Hans Pischner, holding the role until 1988.

Around this time, Burghardt married Marianne Gornig, whom he had met in the 1950s when she was mayor of Ottendorf-Okrilla. Upon his death in 1977, he was succeeded as president of the Cultural Association of the GDR by Hans Pischner. Patriotic Order of Merit, in gold (1965 & 1963) National Prize of the German Democratic Republic (1959 & 1952) Patriotic Order of Merit, in silver (1955)

Selected works Burghardt, Max (1972). Ich war nicht nur Schauspieler. Erinnerungen eines Theatermannes. Weimar: Buchclub 65. — (1968). Fürchtet euch nicht. Berlin: Verlag Neues Leben. — (1967). Briefe, die nie geschrieben wurden. Berlin: Verlag Neues Leben.