Karl Merkatz

Karl Merkatz (17 November 1930 – 4 December 2022) was an Austrian actor.

Merkatz was born on 17 November 1930 in Wiener Neustadt, the son of a toolmaker. He first wanted to become a carpenter. After World War II he was an active Boy Scout in Wiener Neustadt. However, later he started to enroll in acting lessons in Salzburg, Vienna and Zurich. Then he found employment in theatres, most notably in Munich, Salzburg, Hamburg (Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Thalia Theater), and Vienna (Theater in der Josefstadt, Burgtheater, Theater an der Wien).

During his later career he starred in several roles in television and motion pictures. In the role of Edmund Sackbauer (Mundl) in the 1970s, he became famous as a typical working class Viennese (Ein echter Wiener geht nicht unter). Another big success came with the films "Bockerer" starring as a naive Viennese during the Second World War in Vienna (the later films are set in the subsequent years up to 1968).

From 1998 to 2000 Karl Merkatz was honorary chairman of the human rights group SOS Mitmensch.

In 2005 Merkatz caused a deadly car accident in Henndorf (Salzburg).

Merkatz died in Straßwalchen on 4 December 2022, at the age of 92.