Austria says goodbye to Richard “Mörtel” Lugner on Saturday. All details about the funeral service in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
The Viennese entrepreneur Richard “Mörtel” Lugner (1932-2024) died on August 12th in his villa in Vienna-Döbling at the age of 91. In a funeral notice published on Instagram, it was said that he had “passed away peacefully”. On Saturday (August 31st), Austria will say goodbye to its Viennese original. A large memorial service in Vienna’s St. Stephen’s Cathedral and an intimate funeral are planned. These details are known.
8 a.m. – Funeral service and laying in state
Lugner’s last public journey begins at 8 a.m. Then the coffin, accompanied by relatives, is carried through the “Giant Gate”, the main entrance, into St. Stephen’s Cathedral. There the body of the deceased is laid out in public.
His legendary Opera Ball top hat will also be placed on the coffin – that was Lugner’s wish. The wake will be held by bodyguard Christian Löschnigg. For more than 15 years, he and his team protected Lugner and his prominent Opera Ball guests in the box.
“All Viennese, all of Austria and beyond” are invited to say goodbye to Lugner together in silence.
9 a.m. – Memorial service
The actual memorial service begins at 9 a.m. Then cathedral priest Toni Faber will greet the mourners. After several speeches, including from political celebrities and the Viennese actress Edith Leyrer (77, “Schlosshotel Orth”), the Austrian rock musician Dennis Jale will sing “Always on my Mind” and “Candle in the Wind”.
The latter piece is said to be a “version of the song specially adapted for the builder” that was once written by Sir Elton John (77) for Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962) and rewritten for Princess Diana (1961-1997).
10 a.m. – Exit from the cathedral
To the sounds of the fan polonaise – another reference to the Opera Ball – the coffin will be carried out of the cathedral again at 10 a.m. through the giant gate. The Radetzky March will then be played in front of the church. The coffin will then be lifted into the hearse to the sound of the bells of St. Stephen’s Cathedral.
Funeral convoy through Vienna – around 10:30 a.m. at the State Opera
Afterwards, the hearse will be accompanied by several cars and will “head for the two largest stages of the architect”. The convoy is expected to arrive in front of the Vienna State Opera at around 10:30 a.m. The funeral procession will then continue to the Lugner City shopping center. It is planned to arrive at 11:45 a.m. The public part of the funeral ceremony will end there. The condolence book will remain available on site.
where farewell greetings and expressions of condolence can be left. Both Richard Lugner’s last Opera Ball guest, US actress Priscilla Presley (79), and the 2020 Opera Ball guest, the Italian Ornella Muti (68), have already signed the online condolence book. Muti wrote on Thursday: “It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of Richard Lugner. An extraordinary person has left us who left his mark in many ways. He was a wonderful dancer and gentleman of the old school. His warmth and humor brought him friends and admirers not only in Austria, but far beyond.”
Burial in Vienna-Döbling
The actual burial of Richard Lugner, who married six times, most recently in June 2024, will take place after the public memorial service “in the closest circle of family and friends”. After another private memorial service in the Kaasgraben church, he will find his final resting place in a crypt at the Grinzinger Cemetery in Vienna-Döbling.
The family said that they had “urged the public and media representatives to respect their privacy”. And further: Lugner had chosen “the approximately 200 invited guests” himself before his death.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
