This richly illustrated volume presents a series of penetrating portraits of some of Austria's most influential and unconventional cultural personalities of the post-war period. The book consists of a collection of extensive portraits combining documentary photography with analytical essays and interviews. Each chapter is devoted to a prominent Austrian cultural figure and explores both personal background and artistic achievements. Among those portrayed are Thomas Bernhard, Georg Eisler, Erich Fried, Adolf Frohner, Friedrich Gulda, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, Alfred Hrdlicka, Elfriede Jelinek, Georg Kreisler, Hermann Nitsch, Wilhelm Pevny and Helmut Qualtinger. The accompanying texts examine their artistic philosophy, social criticism and influence on Austrian cultural life, while Dreissinger's photographs provide intimate visual impressions of the personalities in their own surroundings. Together, the essays and portraits form a unique documentary record of Austrian contemporary art, literature, theatre and music during the 1980s. (AI-generated content description)