Paulus Hochgatterer

''Paulus Hochgatterer'' is an Austrian child and adolescent psychiatrist and author known for his psychological crime novels that draw upon his professional expertise in mental health. His debut crime novel, ''Die Süße des Lebens'' (translated as ''The Sweetness of Life''), won the European Union Prize for Literature in 2009 and established him as a distinctive voice in contemporary Austrian literature. Hochgatterer was born on 16 July 1961 in Amstetten, Lower Austria. He studied medicine and psychology at the University of Vienna, earning his doctorate in medicine in 1985, and specialized in child and adolescent psychiatry and neurology. From 2007 to 2025, he served as chief physician of the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at the University Hospital Tulln. His literary work frequently incorporates themes from his clinical practice, portraying psychologically complex characters and exploring the intersections of mental illness, society, and criminality. ^[1][2] His recurring characters include psychiatrist Raffael Horn and detective Ludwig Kovacs, who appear in novels such as ''Die Süße des Lebens'' (2006), ''Das Matratzenhaus'' (2010), and ''Fliege fort, fliege fort'' (2019). Hochgatterer has also written earlier prose, stories, essays, and works for children and young adults. His writing has earned him numerous accolades, including the Max-von-der-Grün-Preis, the Austrian State Prize for Children's and Young Adult Literature, the Austrian Art Prize for Literature (2010), and the Johann Beer Literature Prize (2010). ^[3]

Early life and education

Birth and upbringing

Paulus Hochgatterer was born on 16 July 1961 in Amstetten, Lower Austria.^[4][5] He spent his childhood and youth growing up in Amstetten and the neighboring town of Blindenmarkt in the Mostviertel region of Lower Austria.^[6][7] Sources describe his early years in these communities, with some noting he resided in Blindenmarkt for a significant portion of his youth.^[8] No further details on his family background or specific childhood experiences are widely documented in available biographical accounts.

Medical and psychological studies

Paulus Hochgatterer completed his Matura, the Austrian higher education entrance qualification, in 1979. ^[9] He then began studies in medicine and psychology at the University of Vienna. ^{[9] [4]} In 1985, he received his doctorate in medicine (Dr. med. univ.) from the University of Vienna. ^{[9] [4]} He subsequently proceeded to specialist training in child and adolescent psychiatry and neurology. ^[10]

Psychiatric career

Training and specialisation

In 1992, Paulus Hochgatterer completed his specialist training and qualified as a Facharzt für Psychiatrie und Neurologie des Kindes- und Jugendalters (specialist in child and adolescent psychiatry and neurology). ^{[4] [11]} From that same year, he served as Oberarzt (senior physician) at the Neurologisches Krankenhaus Rosenhügel in Vienna, where he practiced in the neurological department focusing on psychiatric and neurological care for children and adolescents. ^{[4] [10]} Later, he assumed leadership of the Institut für Erziehungshilfe (Institute for Educational Assistance) in Vienna-Floridsdorf, directing services related to child and adolescent support and psychiatric care. ^{[4] [11]} These mid-level clinical and administrative roles marked the consolidation of his expertise in child and adolescent mental health following his specialization.

Leadership roles in child and adolescent psychiatry

Paulus Hochgatterer served as Primarius (chief physician) of the Clinical Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Universitätsklinikum Tulln from 2007 until 2025. ^{[4] [12]} He was significantly involved in the department's founding that year and assumed leadership with the beginning of clinical operations. ^{[12] [13]} In 2025, after nearly two decades in the role, Hochgatterer ended his clinical career at the department. He began a sabbatical in October 2025, followed by his retirement in 2026. ^{[12] [13] [14]} His successor as Primaria is Dr. Ursula Kogelbauer. ^{[12] [13]}

Literary career

Early prose works

Paulus Hochgatterer debuted as a writer with the prose collection Rückblickpunkte in 1983. This early work introduced his distinctive introspective style, drawing on personal reflection and observation. He followed with Der Aufenthalt. Erzählungen in 1990, a volume of short stories that further developed his narrative voice. The 1993 publication Über die Chirurgie (reissued in 2005) offered prose pieces reflecting on medical themes and human experience. Subsequent works include Die Nystensche Regel in 1995, Wildwasser in 1997, Caretta Caretta in 1999, Über Raben in 2002, and Eine kurze Geschichte vom Fliegenfischen in 2003. These publications often center on themes of adolescence, the position of outsiders in society, and intricate psychological states, informed by Hochgatterer's expertise in psychiatry. Later prose contributions encompass Katzen, Körper, Krieg der Knöpfe in 2012, a collection of essays and speeches, and Der Tag, an dem mein Großvater ein Held war in 2017. Hochgatterer gradually transitioned to crime fiction after these early prose efforts.

Crime novels and series

Paulus Hochgatterer has established himself as a distinctive voice in contemporary crime fiction through his series featuring child psychiatrist Raffael Horn and police inspector Ludwig Kovacs. ^[15] The novels blend meticulous police procedure with profound psychological analysis, drawing directly on the author's experience as a practicing child psychiatrist to explore the mental states of perpetrators, victims, and investigators. ^[16] This approach distinguishes the series from conventional crime stories by emphasizing truth-seeking through psychiatric insight rather than solely forensic evidence. The series began with Die Süße des Lebens (2006), which introduced the reluctant partnership between Horn, who treats a traumatized child witness, and Kovacs, who pursues the investigation in a small Austrian town. ^[17] The novel, translated into English as The Sweetness of Life (2008), achieved notable success as a bestseller and marked Hochgatterer's breakthrough in the genre. ^[15] It was followed by Das Matratzenhaus (2010), published in English as The Mattress House, which continued the duo's collaboration amid increasingly disturbing cases involving psychological trauma. ^[16] The third installment, Fliege fort, fliege fort (2019), deepens the pattern with crimes that unearth buried secrets and long-suppressed memories, as Horn and Kovacs connect sparse clues across past and present. ^[15] The recurring characters enable Hochgatterer to examine complex human behaviors through a psychiatric lens, often centering on children or vulnerable individuals affected by violence. ^[18] The first two novels have been translated into English, contributing to international recognition of the series' distinctive fusion of suspense and psychological depth. ^[17]

Plays and other writings

Paulus Hochgatterer has written several stage plays that have been produced in Austria. His play CASANOVA oder Giacomo brennt premiered at the Sommerspiele Melk in 2008 as a commissioned work. ^[10] In this piece, Hochgatterer imagines Giacomo Casanova as the final soul in purgatory, tormented by his lifelong passions for women and writing. ^[19] His next play, Makulatur, received its world premiere at the Schauspielhaus Wien in 2012 as part of the Wiener Festwochen. ^[20] Directed by Barbara-David Brüesch, the work features interconnected characters observed through surveillance motifs, exploring themes of identity, neurosis, and urban disconnection in a minimalist staging around monitors depicting Vienna's Schwedenplatz. ^[20] Böhm premiered at the Schauspielhaus Graz in 2018 and was nominated for the Nestroypreis that year. ^[21] Directed by Nikolaus Habjan, who also performed with puppets, the play portrays the conductor Karl Böhm through a blend of biography, memory, and fantasy, highlighting his musical genius alongside his accommodation of the Nazi regime to advance his career. ^[21] Beyond his dramatic output, Hochgatterer edited the professional volume Zur Auflösung der Großanstalten, published by Facultas in Vienna in 1995. This work documents and analyzes inpatient data from the psychiatric department of Vienna's Kaiser Franz Joseph Hospital between 1987 and 1991, addressing reforms to dissolve large psychiatric institutions.

Film and television involvement

Screenwriting credits

Paulus Hochgatterer's screenwriting work is limited to a single verified credit in television and video production. He wrote the short dramatic text "Es wird zu viel geatmet" (Too Much Breathing) for Folge #20 of the Burgtheater Wien's video series Wiener Stimmung, released in July 2020.^[22] The monologue, performed by Klaus Maria Brandauer, was staged as a stop-motion animation film by director and video artist Richard Panzenböck, with dramaturgy by Andreas Karlaganis.^[23] Wiener Stimmung was a series of short video monologues commissioned by the Burgtheater during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and theatre closures, inviting Austrian authors to create texts for ensemble members to perform from isolation at home.^[24] The project, which ran from April to July 2020, aimed to capture the mood of lockdown Vienna through a "net of stories" reflecting isolation, confessions, and everyday observations. Hochgatterer's contribution features an elderly man, Herr Kurt, who ruminates on overwhelming media noise and trivial conversations amid the crisis.^[22] The series as a whole received a nomination for the Nestroy Theaterpreis 2020 in the Corona-Spezial category.^[22] This remains Hochgatterer's only documented screenwriting credit, consistent with his primary career focus on literature and psychiatry rather than ongoing work in film or television.^[25]

Media appearances

Paulus Hochgatterer has made occasional on-screen appearances as himself on Austrian television, primarily in cultural and literary discussion formats where he contributes insights from his dual roles as psychiatrist and author. ^[25] He appeared as a guest on the literary talk show erLesen in the episode aired on 4 February 2020, joining authors Friedrich Ani and Joesi Prokopetz alongside moderator Heike Duken to discuss literary topics. ^{[26] [27] [28]} These appearances typically feature him reflecting on themes from his writing or psychiatric expertise in conversation with other cultural figures.

Awards and recognition

Major literary prizes

Paulus Hochgatterer has received several major literary prizes that underscore his standing in Austrian and European literature. In 2009, he was awarded the Literaturpreis der Europäischen Union for his novel Die Süße des Lebens, an honor recognizing emerging literary talent across Europe and one of the inaugural recipients of this EU-wide prize. ^{[29] [30]} The following year, 2010, marked significant recognition with two prominent awards: the Österreichischer Kunstpreis für Literatur, a leading state prize for outstanding contributions to Austrian literature, and the Johann-Beer-Literaturpreis der Deutschen Bank und der Ärztekammer für Oberösterreich, presented specifically for his novel Das Matratzenhaus. ^{[31] [32]} Earlier in his career, Hochgatterer earned notable commendations including the Max-von-der-Grün-Preis in 1991, the Otto-Stoessl-Preis in 1994, and the Österreichischer Förderungspreis für Literatur in 1998, reflecting his early establishment as a distinctive voice in contemporary prose. ^[31]

Other honours and commendations

Paulus Hochgatterer received early recognition for his literary work through the Hans-Weigel-Stipendium and the Harder Literaturpreis, both awarded in 1995.^[31] In 2000, he was honoured with the Österreichischer Staatspreis für Kinder- und Jugendliteratur in acknowledgment of his contributions to literature for young readers.^[33] This was followed by the Elias-Canetti-Stipendium in 2001, granted by the city of Vienna.^[34] For his crime novel Die Süße des Lebens, Hochgatterer achieved second place in the national category of the Deutscher Krimi Preis in 2007 and was also included on the KrimiWelt-Bestenliste that year.^[35] In 2010, he received the Preis der Stuttgarter Kriminächte for his contributions to the crime fiction genre.^[36]