The Austrian author of books for young people, Auguste Lechner, was born on January 2, 1905 in Innsbruck into the noble family of the Neuner von Breitenegg. After completing her A-levels in Innsbruck, she attended the university there and studied languages. In 1927 she became the wife of Dr. Hermann Lechner, who ran the Tyrolia publishing house and with whom she lived until her death on 25.02.2000. The marriage produced their only son. After initial publications in magazines, her interest in mythology was awakened after the Second World War and Auguste Lechner began to study the Middle High German epics and Greek legends in depth. This was followed by the publication of adapted legends and myths for children and young people, for example adaptations of Hercules, the Iliad and Odysseus, as well as the Nibelungen and the legends of King Arthur. By the time of her death, the Austrian author had written a total of 24 books, which far exceeded a total print run of one million. In 1956, she received the Austrian State Prize for Literature for her adaptation of “Parzival”, and in 1983 the European Youth Book Prize.
Auguste Lechner died on February 25, 2000 in Innsbruck.