Funeral Service for Otto Schenk at Vienna's St. Stephen's Cathedral

"Curtain up, dear Otti, for the grand stage of the heavenly feast," said parish priest Toni Faber at the beginning of the service at St. Stephen's Cathedral, in front of the altar where the coffin was laid out.

Otto Schenk's Burial in Honorary Grave at Vienna Central Cemetery on Thursday

Faber, who will also lead the ceremony at the burial in an honorary grave at the Vienna Central Cemetery on Thursday, let it be known that Schenk had officially left the Catholic Church over 40 years ago, but had until the end held intensive discussions with the Archbishop of Salzburg, Franz Lackner. The latter, together with Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, had suggested that the farewell take place in St. Stephen's Cathedral, which the theatre man could see from his apartment on Rudolfsplatz (which was important to Schenk).

Otti, as the deceased was often called - most frequently by his son, the conductor Konstantin Schenk, who acted as the master of ceremonies at this event. The event offered many facets, from anecdote-rich chatter to honouring farewell speeches to an Italo-pop song. The latter was provided by the singer Tamara Trojani, the partner of Konstantin Schenk, who in a turquoise glitter dress and headband not only sang an Ave Maria and a farewell, but also "Vivere", an Italian-German composition of her companion, which the son presented as a "special farewell greeting to my father".

Funeral Service for Otto Schenk at St. Stephen's Cathedral with Unusual Staging

Konstantin Schenk led the mourners at St. Stephen's Cathedral back through the family history to Trieste, where Otti's beloved Nonna, the grandmother, brought the talent for storytelling into the family. In anecdotes, he not only remembered the artistic sense, but also the equally legendary business sense of his father - and thus provided some of the few laughs at this funeral for a person who not only lived from, but especially for, making others laugh, as the director of the Theater in der Josefstadt, Herbert Föttinger, expressed.

Even when Maria Rauch-Kallat pointed out that Otti had until the end enjoyed scaring his caregivers with "joyfully played falling movements", many had to smile - anyone who had known him could vividly imagine this. The former minister, who had taken great care of Otto Schenk, especially after the death of his beloved wife Renée, spoke moving farewell words on behalf of his large circle of friends, which also addressed the host, hobby cook and well-read, educated and discussion-loving conversation partner: "Thank you for everything!"

Otto Schenk "the Dancing Bear over the Abysses"

"If anyone deserved the Viennese honorary title 'Audience Favorite', it was Otto Schenk," assured the mayor, contributing not only personal memories of the deceased ("I had many encounters with him."), but also revealed that even before the death of his dearly beloved wife in 2022, there was talk of a possible honorary grave. When asked whether he would prefer this or a normal grave, Schenk would have replied "Well, I'd rather be with the famous ones!", Ludwig recounted.

Josefstadt Director Herbert Föttinger (Konstantin Schenk: "Otti's foster son!") called Otto Schenk "one of the most melancholic and thoughtful people I have ever met", for whom it was a true irony that he became the greatest spreader of cheerfulness. "You were the dancing bear over the abysses of people - and you had to dance every evening so they had something to laugh about." Tomorrow, Thursday, there will be a funeral procession from Gate 2 of the Central Cemetery to the honorary grave at 2 pm. There Otto Schenk will find his final rest. And his beloved wife, to whom he was married for over 60 years.

(APA/Red)

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