Before graffiti had a name and Banksy had a following, there was Joseph Kyselak – an Austrian civil servant turned accidental legend, leaving his name wherever he went. Now, nearly two centuries later, his curious legacy was revived in an immersive literature walk — with LiveVoice as the invisible thread tying words, places, and people together in real time.
Long before the era of street art and viral tags, an Austrian adventurer named Joseph Kyselak was making his mark across the Habsburg Empire. In the early 1800s, Kyselak wandered far and wide — from Vienna to remote alpine peaks – leaving his name scrawled on castle gates, towering rocks, and, according to one colourful anecdote, even Emperor Franz’s II/I desk.
Today, nearly 200 years later, a passionate group of art historians is keeping Kyselak’s legacy alive. Under the banner of the association “Wurzeln” – dedicated to researching, preserving, and sharing literature, art, and family history — Gabriele Goffriller and her colleagues have created a unique way to experience Kyselak’s world: through literature walks that combine hiking, storytelling, and site-specific theatre.
With these literature walks, the team brings Kyselak’s story to life in a truly immersive way – and LiveVoice has become an essential part of the experience. Not only does it enable seamless audio delivery, it also allows for a more intimate and nuanced performance:
As Gabriele explains:
“The quality of the readings improves enormously because actors can use their voice more subtly when it’s transmitted via LiveVoice. They don’t have to shout across a crowded space — and that creates a sense of intimacy that’s hard to beat. For example, Nikolaus read a text by Martin Amanshauser for about twelve minutes. He could simply read it naturally, with all its nuance, and everyone could hear him clearly. Meanwhile, people were free to walk around, move, and listen — completely relaxed. I’m really impressed with the app.”
One memorable example was a performance at the Wehrturm in Perchtoldsdorf, where one of Kyselak’s original signatures can still be found. As visitors approached the tower, actor Nikolaus Barton, in full Kyselak attire, appeared from above – waving, removing his top hat, and calling out a warm welcome. While the visitors came closer, climbing up the narrow staircase to the top of the tower, Gabriele read aloud from the ground, her voice carried clearly to listeners through the LiveVoice app as they climbed the narrow stairwell:
“That’s something you can only do with an app like LiveVoice. It gives you the freedom to combine spaces — to have an actor speak from a tower and still be heard clearly by an audience in motion. It creates a magical experience.”
More than Guided Tours: Expanding Possibilities for Literature and Theater
Besides the immersive and entertaining dimension, LiveVoice has also proved valuable for making these walking events more inclusive. Gabriele shared that an attendee with a leg condition was able to participate fully by sitting down and listening to the performance at the final stop of the walk. The technology removes physical and accessibility barriers, allowing more people to connect with Kyselak’s story.
The walks have evolved into much more than guided-tours — they have become live performances, blurring the lines between literature, history, and site-specific theatre. From Kyselak’s childhood home to landmarks across Vienna and beyond, every stop is brought to life through voice and sound.
NIKOLAUS BARTON
From Vienna to the Alps — and all the way to the Timmelsjoch
Kyselak’s wandering spirit didn’t stop in Vienna, and neither do the team’s ideas. One of their upcoming projects takes this approach to new heights – quite literally – with a literature hike across the Timmelsjoch, an alpine pass between Austria and Italy. Another one is reconstructing Kyselak’s journey from Carinthia to Salzburg and Tyrol, crossing the Steinernes Meer massif – a high karst plateau near the famous Königssee in Bavaria.
“We don’t have to worry about making it quiet or disturbing others. Even with 20 people, it’s worth it. I’m excited to try it out in a smaller group first, because the quality of a reading through headphones is completely different — especially when you’re out in nature, listening as you walk. It has a special atmosphere.”
Future excursions also include bus tours that connect different locations where Kyselak left his mark — some publicly known, and others kept intentionally secret due to heritage protection or the nature of tagging culture. As Gabriele explains:
“That’s the exciting part – not revealing too much ahead of time. Only those who register can join, making it a true adventure. We can also use LiveVoice to guide people on the bus, and I’m even thinking about adding music to deepen the experience. It’s really a space to experiment and explore.”
Through this unique approach, Kyselak’s story becomes more than history on a page – it transforms into a living, breathing adventure.
Upcoming Events: Celebrating Kyselak’s Legacy
To mark the anniversary year, a series of public events brings Kyselak’s legacy into contemporary focus — from mountain hikes to film screenings and public readings.
Film screening & reading: “KYSELAK WAR DA! Graffiti anno 1825” with Nikolaus Barton and Peter Henisch
📍 July 20th, Donaufähre Ottensheim, 8 pm
Guided literature hike across the Timmelsjoch (South Tyrol, Italy)
📍 August 16-17
Guided crossing of the Alps
A multi-day hike through Austria and Germany’s national parks together with BERGVAGABUNDIN:
Mallnitz – Bad Gastein – Salzachöfen – Berchtesgaden – Königssee – Steinernes Meer – Saalfelden
📍 August 23-30
Film screenings & readings during the hike:
📍Aug 23: Mallnitz, BIOS National Park Center
📍Aug 24: Bad Gastein, Gastein Museum (Grand Hotel de l’Europe, Wiener Saal)
📍Aug 25: Bad Gastein, Tourism Office — following a day hike to the Zittrauer Tisch (open to day visitors)
Reading walk: “Cholera in Vienna – Kyselak’s Final Path”
A literary walk through Vienna’s Neubau and Josefstadt districts, featuring texts by and about Joseph Kyselak.
With: Nikolaus Barton, Michou Friesz, and Gerhard Dorfer 📍 September 17
Lecture & project presentation by Gabriele Goffriller
📍 October 22, Rollettmuseum, Baden bei Wien
The TAG CONFERENCE Vienna
International conference: “Romantic and Biedermeier Travelers and Their Desire for Immortality”
📍November 7–9, Literature Museum of the Austrian National Library and Bezirksmuseum Mariahilf
📍Nov 7 (evening): Special program curated by the Literature Museum:
Discussion and readings on Kyselak with Clemens J. Setz and Lisz Hirn
