Heidi Holzmann: Tsakonische Märchen

Walter Puchner was born in Vienna in 1947. He studied Theatre Science at the University of Vienna. In 1972 he was nominated Doctor of Philosophy at the same University with a dissertation about Greek Shadow Theatre, and in 1977 Dozent für Theaterwissenschaft with a Habilitationsschrift about the evolution of theatrical forms in Greek folk culture. In the years 1977-89 he taught theatre history at the Philosphical Faculty of the University of Crete, then at the University of Athens theory of theatre, at the newly founded Department of Theatre Studies, where he is dean up to now. Side by side he taught for 30 years theatre history at the Institut für Theaterwissenschaft at the University of Vienna. He was invited guest professor in many European and American Universities. In 1994 he was elected corresponding member of the Austrian Academy of Science, in 2001 he was decorated with the Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art. He has published more then 100 books and about 400 publications in scientific periodicals. His research topics are history of theatre and culture of the Balkan peninsula, comparative folklore and ethnography of the Mediterranean area, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies as well as theory of drama and theatre.