Der Trafikant

In the organizer's words:

Revival of the play by Robert Seethaler

Franz Huchel enjoys his tranquil life in the small village of Nußdorf am Attersee. But his carefree existence comes to an abrupt end when his father suddenly dies and he is sent to Vienna to work for his mother's friend Otto Trsnjek in his tobacconist's to keep the family afloat. There he not only learns a lot about cigars and tobacco, he also begins to get to grips with world events. The boy, who had little interest in politics and left home with only a rudimentary education, becomes an avid newspaper reader who soon seems to have a better grasp of social issues than his peers. In the course of his employment, he also meets cigar jester Sigmund Freud and is immediately fascinated by his charisma. When Franz falls in love with the variety dancer Anezka and is plunged into deep insecurity, he seeks advice from Professor Freud. It turns out that the female sex is just as much of a mystery to the famous psychoanalyst as it is to Franz.

Meanwhile, in the newspapers and on the streets of the big city, the rapid social and political changes that will lead to Austria's annexation by the German Reich ruled by Hitler become apparent. When one day the Gestapo take Otto Trsnjek away from the tobacconist's and Sigmund Freud also announces plans to emigrate to England, Franz finds himself in a hopeless situation.

Robert Seethaler lovingly tells a coming-of-age story full of wit and poetry, which is characterized by a unique friendship. In 2012, Der Trafikant made it onto the bestseller list. Due to its important subject matter, the book is also part of the curriculum for schoolchildren throughout Germany.

A gripping yet gentle story about growing up, the fragility of happiness and an unequal friendship, even in dark times.