On April 5 renowned Austrian fairy tale poet and storyteller Folke Tegetthoff recited from his works Alle Krautermaerchen (1991), Gott ist ueberall zu Hause (1990) and Maerchenbriefe (1990) for the Library's Archive of World Literature. Also included among his current publications are Pan Tau Collection (1993), Liebes Maerchen (1992) and Elektronisches Maerchen (1991).
Mr. Tegetthoff was accompanied by Margo Frauren of the Cultural Office of the Austrian Embassy and they were welcomed by David Kraus, acting chief of the European Division, and Margrit B. Krewson, the division's German/Dutch area specialist.
Mr. Tegetthoff was born in Graz, Austria, and studied medicine and education. After spending a year in Spain, he worked as a songwriter and public relations writer in Hamburg, Germany. He began researching the history of fairy tales and published his first fairy tale in 1978. Mr. Tegetthoff combines classical elements of the children's fairy tale with contemporary art and creates new narratives with a distinctly adult philosophy of life.
Mr. Tegetthoff has published books, written seven television movies and has given approximately 3,000 performances of his works in more than 37 countries. The Folke Tegetthoff Collection, the first official archive of his work, opened at Murray State University in Kentucky in 1986. He is the organizer of the international festival "The Long Night of Storytellers" and the "World Festival of the Art of Narration" in Graz.
