Berta Zuckerkandl

Berta Zuckerkandl

Bert(h)a Zuckerkandl-Szeps, born Bert(h)a Szeps (April 13, 1864, Vienna - October 16, 1945, Paris) was an Austrian writer, journalist, and critic.

Berta Szeps was the daughter of Galician Jewish liberal newspaper publisher Moritz Szeps and was raised in Vienna. She was married to the Hungarian anatomist Emil Zuckerkandl.

From end of the 19th century until 1938, she led an important literary salon in Vienna, originally from a villa in Döbling, later in the Oppolzergasse area. Many famous Viennese artists and personalities including Gustav Klimt, Gustav Mahler, Max Reinhardt, Arthur Schnitzler and others frequented the salon. Protégés of the salon include Anton Kolig and Sebastian Isepp of the Nötsch Circle. Her sister Sofie Szeps (aka Sophie) was married to Paul Clemenceau, the brother of the French President Georges Clemenceau, and, therefore, she also had good ties to Parisian artistic circles. She also translated a number of plays from French to German and was a cofounder of the Salzburg Music Festival.

In 1938, she emigrated to Paris and later to Algiers.