Rudolf Eger

Rudolf Eger, was an Austrian-Swiss writer and stage director, who also worked for the cinema. Born in Vienna on 16-1-1885 into a Jewish family, he converted to Protestantism in 1903 along with his elder brother Paul. Rudolf was a brilliant child who later studied at Berlin University before obtaining a doctorate in philosophy at Bern University. He then moved to Vienna where he worked as a journalist. In 1927, he became a stage director in Garz (Austria). One year later in Berlin, he rose to the position of deputy manager for the Lessing Theater first, then for the Neu Theater am Zoo. In 1933, when Hitler came to power, he was head of the script department of May Film but he decided to give it up and to emigrate to Switzerland. There, he worked both for the Walter Publishing Company and the Luzern Stadttheater. Overflowing with activity Rudolf Eger wrote novels, children's books, plays, librettos and translated works from French and English into German. No less! Among the films he is associated with, one can mention Die große und die kleine Welt (1921), Mir lönd nüd lugg (1940) (he also produced) and Woman in White (1949). This amazingly prolific man died in Bavaria, where he had been living for some time. The date was 18-2-1965: Rudolf Eger could at last rest in peace.