Theodor Mayer

Theodor Heinrich Mayer studied pharmacy in Wien (Vienna), earning his PhD in 1910. Subsequently, he took over his father’s pharmacy called Zum heiligen Karl. From 1924-39, he worked as a free-lance writer, before he had to return to his original profession as a pharmacist. After the “Anschluss” of Austria he was not allowed to publish, because he was active as a freemason.

As a devoted follower of technical innovations, he was an early photographer and motorist. He was involved in the literary circles of his hometown already at a young age and became a close friend of poet and playwright Anton Wildgans. Nature and civilization, religion, culture and history are themes of Mayer’s novels. He described the impacts of technical and medical progress and the resulting psychological problems. As the first writer, Mayer was awarded Honorary Citizenship of the Technical University in Wien (Vienna) in 1949.

One of his most popular novels was Rapanui describing the fate of Easter Island. Around 1930, he focused on historical figures from his home country of Austria (Minister Bruck, Königgrätz_). His Sport-novels were published in 1920 in Leipzig. The book contains a total of six stories, all of them with reference to sports: The Angler, Speed, The Curve, The Mountains, Horses and Sports Editor Wallner. Nothing is known about his 1936 entry Chor der Sportsleute.