Kurt Mrkwicka

Kurt Mrkwicka was an Austrian diver who participated in the 1960 Rome and 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He placed 16th in the springboard and ninth in the platform at Rome. Four years later he came 16th and 17th, respectively. In 1962 Mrkwicka won the European Championships in the springboard event. Domestically, he won 14 national titles. Mrkwicka was also a competitive dancer with his wife. Additionally, he won the Vienna State Show Jumping Championships eight times.

Mrkwicka later became far better known as a film producer, director, and cameraman. He founded his first production company in 1967 making “sports and cultural films”. He produced documentaries and advertising films and successful ski films and later underwater films as a cameraman.

Mrkwicka’s film career lasted more than 50 years. He produced over 800 titles including some feature films, but mainly television films and series. In addition to the multi-part series The Strauss Dynasty, he produced several series, among them Maximilian I., Das Sacher, Maria Theresia and also cinema films Falco – Damn, we’re still alive! and La Bohème. Mrkwicka received several media awards, such as the Romy (1996, 2011), The World Media Sport Award (1992), The Emmy-Award (2006), and the Golden Decoration of Honour for Services to the State of Wien (Vienna) in 2017.