Probably no other work is as closely associated with the Salzburg Summer Festival as Hugo von Hofmannsthal’s (1874-1929) "Jedermann. Das Spiel vom Sterben des reichen Mannes." Every summer, in good weather, Salzburg’s famous Cathedral Square is transformed into the beautiful backdrop for the play - which can by now look back on nearly 700 performances. Central issue of the Salzburg Festival classic is the timeless question of death and the afterlife. Even Hugo von Hofmannsthal was aware that dealing with death had increasingly moved to the margins of society. A fact that has become even more acute for today’s generation, although the current pandemic shows us how quickly this can change in public discourse. As a basis Hofmannsthal used an English play of the 16th century, "Everyman. A Morality Play," as well as various songs from medieval Minnesang. Despite both, classical and medieval references, von Hofmannsthal deliberately created a work free of any time of action.
