Leopold Andrian

Who was Leopold Andrian?

Leopold Andrian, actually Leopold Freiherr Ferdinand von Andrian zu Werburg was an Austrian author, dramatist and diplomat.

He was a grandson of Giacomo Meyerbeer and friend of Arthur Schnitzler, Stefan George and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. After studying Law he began a diplomatic career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Austria-Hungary. He became an expert for Russia and Poland and a close advisor of minister Count Leopold Berchtold. In Berchtold's order Andrian outlined the war aims of the Habsburg Monarchy at the beginning of World War I.

After the war he worked for the Burgtheater in Vienna and the Salzburg Festival. He wrote especially lyrics in the style Symbolism and Impressionism.