H. C. Artmann

Hans Carl Artmann (June 12 1921 - December 4 2000), also known as Ib Hansen, was an Austrian poet, best known for his poems written in Viennese (med ana schwoazzn dintn).

Artmann was born in St. Achatz am Walde on June 12 1921 as the son of shoe maker Johann Artmann and his wife Marie (nee Schneider). After growing up in Vienna and attending Volks- und Hauptschule, he worked as a an office intern for three years; in 1940, he was conscripted during World War II, and transferred to a punishment battalion after suffering a war wound in 1941.

Having grown up trilingually, Artmann had an interest in language from an early age on; in 1947, his first publications appeared on radio and in the newspaper "Neue Wege". He joined the "Art Club" in 1951, and worked with Gerhard Rühm and Konrad Bayer from 1952 on. The same year, he also founded the so-called Wiener Gruppe of avantgarde artists, which he left again in 1958.

Starting in 1954, Artmann travelled Europe extensively; he stayed in Sweden from 1961 to 1965, living in Stockholm, Lund and Malmö, then went to live in Berlin until 1969, finally settling down in Salzburg in 1972.

He was a founding member of the Anti P.E.N. club in 1973; later that year, he became and stayed president of the Grazer Autorenversammlung until leaving the organization in 1978.

He earned several awards for his achievements in literature during his lifetime, including the Großer Österreichischer Staatspreis in 1974, the title of honorary doctor from the university of Salzburg in 1991 and the Georg-Büchner Preis for literature in 1997.

H. C. Artmann died from a heart attack on December 4 2000.