The soubrette and the blue-blooded murderer A tragedy in two districts: Innere Stadt and Favoriten

The young Viennese actress Therese Krones was the embodiment of the female lead in Ferdinand Raimund’s play “The Farmer as Millionaire“, in which, according to Ferdinand Raimund’s vision, she was to play the “youth”. Her artistic career began on her father’s traveling stage. The ensemble came to Ödenburg in Hungary. In addition to her acting, the 20-year-old Therese’s main interest was in young, handsome men.

Promotion by Ferdinand Raimund

Ferdinand Raimund was entranced by the actress and successfully lobbied for her engagement at the Leopoldstadt Theater. The young artist delighted her audience and skillfully overcame all the intrigues that were staged against her. The “Krones” made it as an actress. She loved Ferdinand Raimund, who created a character role for Therese in many of his plays. The artist earned herself a life of prosperity.

One acquaintance proved fatal for the mime: she met the Polish nobleman Count Severin Jaroszynski at St. Michael’s Church. He wanted to borrow money from his former mathematics teacher Abbé Johann Konrad Blank , who refused. The Pole flew into a rage and murdered the teacher, stole his money and threw a party for Therese Krones.

The arrest

The investigating detective took a closer look at the nobleman. At the premiere party , the detectives arrested Mr. von Jaroszynski. He is condemned to death, receives a last meal and has a little pastoral session with Therese Krones in the cell. He is then taken to the place of execution near the spinner on the cross. The actress was whistled off the stage as the “playmate of a murderer”. It was not until a few years later that she dared to take on her first engagements again.

Time Travel Tip: The residential building “Zur Eisernen Birn”, Johannesgasse, corner of Seilerstätte, 1010 Vienna, the crime scene and the Spinnerin am KreuzIn the immediate vicinity is the “George Washington Hof” municipal building, which used to be the place of execution for Vienna’s municipal courts until 1868. Severin von Jaroszynski was also hanged there, near Triester Straße.

Editor: Michael Ellenbogen

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