Director at the Center of a Scandal

350,000 euros gone! Manker faces ten years in prison

Paulus Manker has a “troubled relationship” with the Südbahnhotel on the Semmering.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Kristian Bissuti, Reinhard Judt)

He directed the great dramas of world literature, engaged in legendary feuds, and regularly made headlines even offstage. Now Paulus Manker himself could be playing the lead role in a legal drama: charges have been filed against him for embezzlement and fraudulent bankruptcy.

This time, it’s not the combative director writing the “script,” but the Vienna Public Prosecutor’s Office. They have just filed a 13-page indictment against the 68-year-old. The allegation: Manker is said to have embezzled hundreds of thousands of euros from his theater productions “Alma” and “The Last Days of Mankind,” thereby causing financial harm to creditors of his now-bankrupt theater company.

A Penniless Retiree
Particularly noteworthy: The once-celebrated director is listed by the public prosecutor’s office as a de facto penniless retiree. His monthly income: a mere 1,500 euros net—but he reportedly has no other assets.

“Alma” Brought in the Cash
Yet the theater productions at the Südbahnhotel in Semmering (Lower Austria) were a major moneymaker. Thousands of tickets for “Alma” and “The Last Days of Mankind” sold for up to 125 euros each. But behind the scenes, a bitter dispute over money was raging.

Paulus Manker, early May 2026(Bild: APA-Images / Starpix)

According to the contract, the ticket proceeds were supposed to be deposited into an account held by the business partner S & W. Instead, they initially went to Manker’s theater company and later to the association “Kulturaktiv,” which he controlled. According to the indictment, more than 400,000 euros were deposited into each of these accounts. Even a court-mediated settlement failed to reach an agreement. The serious allegation: Manker is said to have unlawfully withheld 349,350.40 euros.

After Eviction and Bankruptcy, the Final Act Unfolds at the
Then came the big crash: the forced eviction from the Südbahn Hotel in January 2024, followed by the company’s bankruptcy in August. The insolvency administrator discovered cash withdrawals totaling approximately 198,000 euros, and complete accounting records were missing.

Now the public prosecutor’s office is charging the director with aggravated embezzlement and fraudulent bankruptcy. If convicted, he faces—for a single count alone—ten years in prison!

I am approaching the proceedings with the necessary composure. The allegations against me are unfounded.

Paulus Manker, Regisseur

Receipts “disappeared during eviction”
Manker vehemently denies the accusations; he sees himself as the victim. All proceeds went toward the elaborate productions, which cost around 1.16 million euros. However, the artist claims that the receipts disappeared during the eviction. It remains to be seen whether this explanation will convince the judges.

“All proceeds were used exclusively and verifiably for our theater productions ‘Alma’ and ‘The Last Days of Mankind.’ Not a single cent was used for any other purpose. The court will verify this and conclude that the allegations are untenable,” explains Manker.  Naturally, the presumption of innocence applies to the director.