An Austrian author, born in Vienna, Austria. In 1879, he joined the University of Vienna to study medicine. In 1885, he obtained his doctorate in medicine. He started working at the Vienna General Hospital but later left to devote himself to writing. He wrote many plays, short stories, and novels, many of which have been made into movies and series. He married the actress and singer Olga Gussmann on August 26, 1903. They had two children, and they divorced in 1921. His notable credits include Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and Il cavaliere, la morte e il diavolo (1983). He died on October 21, 1931, in Vienna, Austria, due to a cerebral hemorrhage.