Guitarist, composer, singer, climber and author, born as Johann Schwanda in Vienna and died in Vienna. He studied four semesters guitar at the conservatory in Vienna, played on the streets and in wine bars. In the 1920s and 1930s he performed as guitar duo ‚Wiener Gitarrenkammerduett‘ with Otto Schindler and they went on tours through Europe, too. They played in the radio in Vienna (e.g. 1930). Between the two wars he came as wandering musician to Sweden (several appearances on the radio). 1928 he also performed there with the guitarist Friedl Hinker. He taught guitar in winter and climbed in summer (Alps, Taurus mountains 1956, Caucasus 1957 and 1959, Greenland 1982). In 1949 he opened a mountain sports shop in Vienna. (Rainer Stelle)