"The Cheap Eaters with Jens Harzer"

"… To be honest, Koller says, the WÖK people are still the most steadfast in character…" (Thomas Bernhard) This story, published by Bernhard in 1980, tells of the life of the private scholar Koller, who, since losing his left leg due to a dog bite, is working on a study of physiognomy. The narrative processes several recurring themes in Bernhard's work, including the failure of a scientific endeavor because the researcher claims to capture the entirety of the world. Genius and madness are also inseparably united in this Bernhard character. Jens Harzer, a highly acclaimed actor for over two and a half decades, is the bearer of the Iffland Ring, the most prestigious honor a German-speaking actor can receive. The ring is passed on by the current holder to the "most significant and worthy stage artist." In 2019, Jens Harzer, who last appeared at the Salzkammergut Festival in Gmunden ten years ago, received it from Bruno Ganz.