Ernst von Possart

Who was Ernst von Possart?

Ernst von Possart was a German actor and theatre director.

Possart was born in Berlin and was early an actor at Breslau, Bern, and Hamburg. Connected with the Munich Court Theatre after 1864, he became the oberregisseur in 1875. In 1877 he was made director of the Bavarian royal theatres; from 1887 to 1892 toured the United States, Germany, Russia, and The Netherlands; in 1895 to 1905 was general director of the Bayerische Hoftheater; and in 1901 opened the Prinzregententheater.

In 1897, in return for Possart assisting him in gaining an orchestral post in Munich, Richard Strauss wrote a recitation for narrator and piano. They performed Enoch Arden in a number of cities. On February 15, 1878, Henrik Ibsen wrote him a personal letter commending him on his "genius" performance as "Konsul Bernick" in Ibsens play "Pillars of society" which had its opening date in Königliches Residenz-Theater, Munich 10 days earlier.

In the private royal theatre he produced several of Mozart's operas. Among his own roles were Nathan, Gessler, Mephisto, Iago, and Shylock.