Claus Peymann

Biography

Claus Peymann (born Klaus Eberhard Peymann, German: [ˈklaʊs ˈeːbɐʁhaʁt ˈpaɪ̯man]; 7 June 1937 – 16 July 2025) was a German theatre director and manager. He headed the Schauspiel Stuttgart from 1974, the Schauspielhaus Bochum from 1979, the Burgtheater in Vienna from 1986 to 1999, and the Berliner Ensemble from 1999 to 2017. In all positions, he focused on world premieres of plays and invited new directors, often causing controversy. He produced Handke's Publikumsbeschimpfung in 1966 and Bernhard's Heldenplatz in 1988, many more by these two authors, and also plays by Peter Turrini and Elfriede Jelinek. He collaborated with actors who followed him when he moved to a different post, such as Gert Voss and Traugott Buhre. Peymann was regarded as an already legendary figure in German theatre during his lifetime.