Adolf Sonnenthal was born in Budapest, Hungary, to a wealthy Jewish family in December 1834. As a young man he first studied lithography at the school of arts. His father, lost his wealth and Sonnenthal began working as an apprentice tailor. At the age of 16, he moved to Vienna.
He was fascinated seeing a play with the famous actor Bogumil Dawison in a lead role at the prime of his career. Sonnenthal decided that he too wanted to become an actor. He presented himself to Dawison, who was surprised by the daring of the young man. After the audition Dawison recommended him to Heinrich Laube, the director of the Burgtheatre. By 1851 Sonnenthal, had appeared on stage in Temesvar (now Timisoara, Romania). For two years he acted in German speaking theaters in Hungarian towns. Later he performed in Austria and in Germany. In 1856 Laube invited Sonnenthal to act in the Burgtheatre. His first role there as Martimer in the play ‘Stuart Maria’ was negligible. He was, however, a tremendous success in ‘Don Carlos’ which resulted in a permanent contract. This became a lifelong bond with the Burgtheater. In 1870 Sonnenthal began directing plays. He became chief stage director and in 1887 was appointed general manager of the Burgtheatre.
Sonnenthal was an outstanding artist of the old pathetic style. At first, he excelled in modern plays but later gained his great reputation in Shakespeare, Goethe, Schiller, Ibsen and Shaw. Among his most remarkable roles were: Romeo, Mackbeth, Wallenstein, Nathan the Wise, Othello, Fiesco, Faust, Wilhelm Tell, Clavigo, Richard the II, Henry the VI and others. His best-known role was Uriel Acosta.
His work enabled him to achieve a respected position in high society as well as access to the Imperial court. Sonnenthal’s twenty-five years of activity in the theater was honored in a celebration by the Viennese. He was ennobled by Emperor Franz Joseph. In 1896, by contrast, his jubilee of forty years at the Burgtheatre was marred by anti-Semites, who opposed his receiving honorary citizenship of Vienna.
Sonnenthal was a practicing Jew all his life. He resisted recurring attempts to convert him to Christianity. In the 1890s, he took part in an organization aimed to preserve Jewish art and relics of Jewish history.
Adolf Ritter Von Sonnenthal died in Prague in 1909.