The Bavarian State Archive with the family archive Bayrhammer takes over the estates Gustl Bayrhammer and his father Max Bayrhammer. The family archive contains personal documents, awards and memorabilia of the actor dynasty Bayrhammer from 1870. This secures the written testimonies of this “artisticly ambitious family” (Gustl Bayrhammer) for the future and makes it accessible to research. Especially Gustl Bayrhammer (1922–1993), who was on 12. February 2022 would have become 100 years old, so far many are regarded as the epitome of the Bavarian folk actor. Like his father Max (1867–1942), he worked on many stages throughout the German-speaking world.

To complement official tradition, the Bayerische Hauptstaatsarchiv secures estates of political and socially important personalities. The takeover of the family archive Bayrhammer takes place on the basis of a donation agreement on the basis of the public interest and the supra-regional importance of the subcontracted persons.

Max Emanuel Bayrhammer on the 26th Born in Lower Bavaria in May 1867 as the son of a castle administrator. He took acting lessons and quickly found access to large stages, often with classic main roles. He performed at the Gardenerplatztheater Munich, the Stadttheater Wroclaw, the Weimarer Hoftheater, the Wiener Volkstheater or the Schauspielhaus Frankfurt. After the end of the First World War, the role offers became less, already from the early 1920s, he joined NSDAP fans as an entertainer and after 1933 at events of the NS organization “force through joy”. In precarious economic circumstances, he lasted only with a small doped stage contract at the Bavarian National Theatre on Water. His performances as the author of stage pieces are forgotten today.

His 1922-born son Gustl (actually Adolph Gustav Rupprecht Maximilian) Bayrhammer first received a commercial training. After his convocation in the Wehrmacht, Gustl Bayrhammer used the stationing in Berlin for a theatre training at the Schiller Theatre under Heinrich George and Gustav Gründgens. After the end of the war, together with Toni Berger (1921–2005), he took a first engagement at the Hohenzollerische Landestheater Sigmaringen. There he also met his later wife, actress Irmgard Henning (1919–2003). After more than two decades on different stages (e.g. Augsburg, Karlsruhe, the Luisenburg Festival Wunsiedel and the Landestheater Salzburg), he went to Munich in 1967. Since then, he has been involved in the Munich Chamber Games, the Münchner Volkstheater and the Bayerische Staatsschauspiel.

Gustl Bayrhammer became famous throughout the country through his TV career. As the first Bavarian investigator in the TV series "Tatort", he appeared in 15 episodes nationwide between 1972 and 1981. The television role with which it is most often associated across generations is that of the “master Eder” in the children’s series “Pumuckl”. In this international large production with at the time extremely elaborate trick drawings, he brilled as a sympathetic-grantian carpenter.

Max and Gustl Bayrhammer made their own understanding of their performances as a theatre actor. The family archive is documented by special biographical documents: Gustl Bayrhammer led over each of his roles book. The recordings range from the first performance at Theater Sigmaringen on 27th. November 1945 until his last appearance on 21st January 1993 in Munich. This written information is accompanied by equally carefully designed photo albums. His father, on the other hand, collected the theatre records and stage programs of his performances, so that his professional path can also be well tracked.

As a curiosity, the family archive contains a whole range of awards and honours such as the Bavarian Film Award, the Bambi, the Bavarian Order of Merit and even a Golden Record for the Pumuckl-Hörspiele.

TV contribution to the acquisition of the family archive Bayrhammer in the BR-Sendung "Rundschau" from 12.02.2022 [video film, about 2 minutes]
https://www.br.de/mediathek/video/bayerische-schauspiel-legende-100-birthday-von-gustl-bayrhammer-av:6207e19ed0f61f00084eeacc

Radio contribution to the acquisition of the family archive Bayrhammer in the BR2 radio broadcast "Die kulturWelt" from 11. February 2022 [Audio contribution, at approx. 10.00-16:50]:
https://www.br.de/radio/bayern2/s/kulturwelt/die-kulturwelt-vom-11-februar-2022_x-100.html

Posted on 11.02.2022, added on 14.02.2022