The show shows the diversity of Lot Topish

Entitled “Lady Vienna Salon? Nightmare!” Visitors can take part in the stages of their lives with the help of nearly 300 exhibits as well as audio recordings and films. Since 1981, Tubish has organized Austria’s most important social event, the Vienna Opera Ball at the State Opera for 16 years.

Curators Kira Waldner and Tanja Gasterer affirmed “The exhibition attempts to show the diversity of Lotte Tobisch’s life as well as her work.” It was a matter of concern to show this diversity between her acting work and her philanthropic commitment, especially with the help of estate documents, but also through loans from private collections, and “materials-style storytelling”.

“Dog Friendship” with Bruno Kreisky

The display is spatially divided into seven stylized living rooms. The idea behind it is to show the special side of Lotte Topish. In “The Waiting Room”, for example, Lotte Tobysh’s family background and childhood are explained to visitors using photographs, letters, mother’s children’s diary notes, and so forth. Another section is devoted to Töbisz’s relationship with Erhard Buschbeck, 37 years his senior. The diary entries document their twelve happy years together.

Numerous testimonies shed light on her private and professional network, including her extensive exchanges with German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno or her contacts with well-known contemporaries such as Ludwig von Wicker, Bruno Kreisky (“The Friendship of Dogs”) or Christine Lavant. One also learns lesser-known things, for example that Tobysh “sews and crafts a lot” (Waldner), worked as a reviewer and “on a small scale” as a writer and posed in front of the camera for Maggie’s commercials.

The history of the family dates back to 1229

Tubish was a scion of an imperial Austrian aristocratic family whose roots can be traced back to 1229. She was educated at the boarding school Schloss Marquartstein in Upper Bavaria and at the Sacre Coeur in Vienna. Her passion for acting led her to the Horak Conservatory in Vienna. Even before she completed her training, Topish jumped into the Burg Theatre.

Although her major breakthrough was not achieved, for decades she worked in theatre, film and television. Thank you notes, movie posters, and still photos illustrate this part of their lives. In the last “rooms” she gets acquainted with Michael Simon, her second man in life. And of course you come across many exhibits related to the opera ball, such as Fred Adelmüller’s costume sketches or the farewell bouquet that Taubish received at the end of her work.

Doesn’t fit in any drawer.

The estate shows that Topisch “cannot be classified as a dove”, as confirmed by the director of the Viennese library Anita Eichinger. “She was just as at home in the artistic and intellectual milieu as she was on stage at the Opera Ball. Lotte Tubish was also not shy about voicing her opinion publicly.” Topish chose her various roles very consciously.