Lilarum: Traude Kossatz’s puppet master took home the gold

The long-time founder and director of the Lilarum Bobet Theater was honored for her services by the head of the Landtag in Vienna, Ernst Wöller.

Vienna / Landstrasse. 42 years ago, Traude Apel-Kossatz founded the Lilarum Puppet Theater in the 3rd district, which has become one of the most successful and largest children’s theaters in Vienna. In recognition of her achievements, Apel-Kossatz was awarded the Vienna State Gold Medal of Merit on 19 December by the President of the Vienna State Parliament, Ernst Wöller (SPÖ).

“I am particularly pleased to have recognized Traude Apel-Kossatz with this award. Sie hat es geschafft, in den letzten 42 Jahren Generationen von Kindern, Eltern und Großeltern mit ihren Vorstellungen glücklich zu machen und ihnen zumeist den ersten und oft auch einen bleibenden Zugang zu Theater, Kunst und Kultur zu eröffnen,” so Woller bei der Überreichung der discrimination.

From watchmaking to the theatre

Traude Apel-Kossatz completed his apprenticeship first as a watchmaker, then turned to painting and worked as a watercolorist and illustrator for magazines. In the puppet theater she saw an opportunity to combine painting and sculpture with the theatre. In 1980 she founded her own puppet theater Lilarum, which was a touring theater in the early years.

In 1997 Lilarum moved to Göllnergasse. Since then, the puppet theater has been shown to children from the age of three. The distinct stage style is globally unique: five “invisible” players move the puppets, who speak in the voices of famous actors and cabaret performers to music composed exclusively for the pieces.

400 shows a year

As Artistic Director, Traude Apel-Kossatz is responsible for the development of a play, from finding a theme to the concrete design of the characters and stage design.

The theater has more than 30 indoor productions for 3 or 4 year olds in its repertoire and the number is growing every year. In order to have many puppets on stage regularly, nearly 400 performances are given every year, which are attended by more than 40,000 people.

You may also be interested in:

The curtain on democracy

Dolls are her life