Otto Dürr

He began his career as a Mainz carnival performer and initially worked in the Mainz city administration as an administrative specialist. From 1952, he established himself as part of the comedic duo 'Frau Babbisch and Frau Struwwelich' alongside Georg Berresheim, performing for three decades until 1982. Dürr played the role of the somewhat clumsy 'Frau Babbisch' within this partnership. Their performances sometimes extended beyond the carnival season.

Dürr’s professional life included diverse roles. After his time in the Mainz city administration, he worked at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Later, he served as a personnel specialist at ZDF. In 1965, he transitioned to self-employment, opening an artist agency. He also contributed to musical traditions, composing the "Kressbronner Sängerspruch" for the Liederkranz Kressbronn in 1952, a choir with which he was associated. His appearances were noted in various contexts, including the 'Mainz, wie es singt und lacht' television program in 1964, where he performed alongside Georg Berresheim as Fraa Babbisch and Fraa Struwwelisch, following an appearance by Dr. Willi Scheu (Bajazz). The newspaper AZ anticipated a performance of 'Heile, heile Gänsje' during one of his appearances.

Otto Dürr’s work was integral to the popular television program 'Mainz bleibt Mainz,' which began in 1955 as 'Mainz wie es singt und lacht.' This show significantly contributed to the wider recognition of Mainzer Fastnacht, broadcasting in Austria from 1957 and Switzerland via Eurovision from 1958. The program experienced a 'Fastnachtsrivalität' with ZDF starting in 1964. He appeared alongside other notable participants such as Joe Ludwig, Herbert Bonewitz, Willi Scheu, Georg Berresheim, and Jürgen Dietz. Rolf Braun served as Sitzungspräsident for 25 years, until 1989, and his phrase 'Wolle mer’n eroilosse?' became a recurring joke in the show. The program continues to be scheduled at least until 2024, with Andreas Schmitt currently holding the position of Sitzungspräsident since 2014.