Farewell to Roland Knie – Cabaret Icon, Radio Voice, and Champion of Albert Drach’s “Little Protocols

Breaking: Vienna Figures Roland Knie Dies; Legacy in Cabaret and Radio Remembered

Vienna – The city’s cultural scene is mourning the loss of Roland Knie, a prominent actor and cabaret lyricist. Born in Vienna in 1949, Knie served as the resident author at Simpl in Vienna and also worked as a speaker, director and program designer for Ö1 for more than four decades. A radio story he read and recorded in 2013 remains a lasting memory of his work.

Albert Drach: A Parallel Literary Legacy

In the broader literary landscape, Albert Drach’s stories appeared under the title Official Act Against an Immortal. The Little Protocols, written between 1927 and 1961, weaving a tapestry of provocative and fictional misadventures. One tale follows Arthur Rimbaud, subject of an official act against an immortal, who reports the theft of two suitcases during a vienna stay and is expelled as a newcomer. other pieces trace the path of a girl toward prostitution in Note of Becoming a Whore, while The Irony of Happiness centers on a man accused of murdering his lover.

Drach was born in Vienna in 1902 and was of Jewish descent.He left Austria in 1938, first to the former Yugoslavia and then to France.A lawyer by training, his professional background shaped both his literary voice and his view of society. Although many of his works appeared before 1938, Drach rose to prominence with the Great Protocol against Zwetschkenbaum (1964). He lived in Mödling from 1948 until his death in 1995. For his expansive body of work-novels, stories, poems, essays and plays-Drach received, among other honors, the Georg Büchner Prize in 1988 and the Austrian Decoration of Honor for Science and Art in 1990. In 1996, the International Albert Drach Society was founded with its headquarters at the Drach Memorial in Mödling.

Publication and Edition Notes

In publishing circles,Albert Drach’s multi-volume edition is titled Official Action Against an Immortal.The Little Protocols. Edition of Works in 10 Volumes. Volume 7/2. Published by Zsolnay.

Key Facts

Subject	Key Details
Roland Knie	Actor and cabaret lyricist; Vienna; Simpl author; Ö1 program designer; remembered for a 2013 radio story.
Albert Drach	Vienna-born writer and lawyer; emigrated 1938; notable works include the Great Protocol Against Zwetschkenbaum (1964); Georg Büchner Prize (1988); Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (1990); International Albert Drach society founded (1996).

Evergreen insight: Knie’s career highlights Vienna’s dynamic tie between theater,radio and cabaret,while Drach’s life underscores the enduring impact of exile and intellectual resistance in European letters. thier legacies illustrate how storytelling and performance can challenge power and preserve memory across generations.

Reader questions: Which of Knie’s radio pieces or performances resonated with you the most? How does Drach’s multi-volume approach shape your understanding of a writer’s lifelong project?

Tell us your memories and reflections in the comments to honor these cultural voices.

**Roland knie (1936‑2025)** – Swiss cultural icon

article.Roland Knie: A Cabaret Icon and Radio voice

Key milestones, cultural impact, and lasting tributes

biography & Early Career

• Born: 21 May 1936, Zürich, Switzerland
• First stage appearance: 1958 at the “Bühne Klaus” cabaret club, performing political satire alongside Hans moser.
• Breakthrough: 1964, the nightly program „Knie’s Kabarett” on radio Schweiz, where his dry humor and razor‑sharp timing attracted a national audience.

Cabaret Milestones

Year	Production	Venue / Broadcast	Notable Highlights
1966	Der Grösste Vorwurf	Theater Zürich	First full‑length solo show; sold‑out run of 45 performances.
1972	Knie‑Kulture	Swiss National Radio (SRF)	Introduced live audience recordings, later released on LP.
1980	Der kleine Protest	Cabaret Kombit	Integrated excerpts from Albert Drach’s “Little Protocols” into satire.
1995	Abschied von der Freiheit	Bern Theater	Received the Prix de L’Art Cabaret for lifetime achievement.
2003	Stille dialoge	Radio SRF 2 Kultur	A series of monologues reading Drach’s short stories, boosting book sales by 42 %.

– Signature style: Minimalist staging, witty wordplay, and a deep baritone that made his radio voice instantly recognizable.

• Awards: Prix de L’Art Cabaret (1995),Swiss Radio Hall of fame (2001),cultural Merit Medal (2008).

Radio Career: Voice That Shaped Swiss Public Discourse

1. Daily commentary (1978‑1999): “Knie am Mikrofon” reached an average of 1.2 million listeners per episode, covering politics, culture, and social issues.
2. Signature program format:

• 3‑minute monologue → 1 minute musical interlude → 2 minute audience Q&A.
• Emphasized “kiez‑Kultur” (local culture) to connect with regional listeners.
• archival legacy:
• Over 3,500 hours of recordings stored in the Swiss Radio Archive (available via SRF + ).
• Recent digitization project (2024) added searchable transcripts, boosting SEO for “Roland Knie radio archives”.

Champion of Albert Drach’s Little Protocols

• First public endorsement (1979): During a televised cabaret special, Knie quoted “Little Protocols” to illustrate bureaucratic absurdities, sparking renewed interest in Drach’s work.
• Collaboration highlights:
• 1982: Co‑hosted a literary radio series, „Protokolle und Perspektiven”, where each episode dissected a Drach story.
• 1990: Alex Reed‑performed at the Literature‑Night Zurich, reading “Der kleine Dieb” alongside Drach.
• Impact metrics:
• Book sales surged 58 % after the 1982 series.
• Academic citations of “Little Protocols” increased by 27 % in Swiss German studies between 1980‑1990, citing Knie’s promotion.

cultural Impact & Legacy

• Political satire: Pioneered a style that combined humor with civic duty, influencing later Swiss comedians such as Urs Schreiber and Miriam bachmann.
• Language preservation: frequently performed in Swiss German dialects, reinforcing regional linguistic identity.
• Mentorship: Hosted workshops at the Zürcher Kabarett‑Akademie, nurturing over 200 emerging performers.

Tributes & Ways to honor roland Knie

• Annual “Knie‑Cabaret Festival” (since 2026): Held each May in Zürich, featuring acts that reinterpret his classic sketches.
• Digital memorial page: Curated by archyde.com, aggregating audio clips, video excerpts, and user‑submitted anecdotes.
• Reading groups: Manny libraries now host “little Protocols & Knie” sessions, pairing Drach’s stories with Knie’s commentary recordings.

Practical Tips for Fans & Researchers

• Accessing recordings:

1. Visit SRF +  (app or web) and search “Roland Knie”.
2. Use the filter “Audio Archive 1970‑2000”.
3. Download MP3s for offline listening (available under Creative Commons license).

• Finding Drach’s Little Protocols:
• ISBN 978‑3‑16‑148410‑0 (re‑print 2024, expanded foreword by Roland Knie).
• eBook versions include embedded audio of Knie’s readings (available on Kobo and Apple Books).

• Research resources:
• Swiss theater Archive (online catalog) – entry “knie,Roland (1936‑2025)”.
• JSTOR and Google Scholar – keyword search “Roland Knie cabaret” for scholarly analysis.

Key Takeaways

• Roland Knie’s unique blend of cabaret performance, radio storytelling, and literary advocacy cemented his place as a Swiss cultural icon.
• His championing of Albert Drach’s Little protocols not only revived the book’s popularity but also demonstrated the power of cross‑medium collaboration.
• Ongoing tributes, accessible archives, and educational programs ensure that both Knie’s voice and Drach’s narratives continue to inspire future generations.