Vienna to unveil plaque for Georg Danzer on his 80th birthday
Wednesday 7th October 2026 on 05:15 in
Austria
A commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the childhood home of Austrian singer-songwriter Georg Danzer on Wednesday, the 80th anniversary of his birth, ORF reports. Danzer, who died in 2007 aged 60, is remembered for songs including “Jö schau” and “Hupf in Gatsch”.
Danzer grew up at Gaudenzdorfer Gürtel 47, an address that also features in the title of one of his songs. Its opening line, “Am Gürtel staut si da Berufsverkehr”, introduces a song about his dreams and his family’s everyday life when he was 14.
A birthday event will be held on Wednesday evening at George’s Bar, on the ground floor of the building, with musicians performing some of Danzer’s songs.
Behind the often humorous tone of his poetic, sometimes melancholy lyrics were themes of protest and social justice. Danzer helped shape Austropop and was an important influence on the Austrian dialect music wave of the 1970s.
He first found success writing songs for performers including Wolfgang Ambros, Marianne Mendt and Erika Pluhar. His breakthrough as a solo artist came in 1975 with “Jö schau”, his first and only number-one hit. A tour of 32 sold-out concerts in 1979 marked a milestone in his career, and his 1981 album “Ruhe vor dem Sturm” brought him success in Germany.
After spending time abroad, Danzer returned to Vienna in the 1990s and recorded the album “Wieder in Wien” with Peter Cornelius, Marianne Mendt and Wilfried. Its song “Sei imma höflich” became a regular radio feature. Danzer also formed the successful trio Austria 3 with Ambros and Rainhard Fendrich.
Danzer wrote screenplays and supported the organisation SOS Mitmensch. His albums included “13 schmutzige Lieder”, “Persönlich” and “Von Scheibbs bis Nebraska”, recorded in the United States. His last album was “Träumer”.
ORF is marking the anniversary with television and radio programmes. A new documentary, “Schurli – Der Liedermacher & Poet Georg Danzer”, was broadcast on Monday and is available on ORF On. On Wednesday, ORF 2 will feature Ulli Bäer, a longtime guitarist in Danzer’s band, while ORF III’s “Kultur Heute” will focus on the musician. Radio Wien will broadcast a two-hour special from 7pm to 9pm.