The tragicomedy The Vast Domain by Arthur Schnitzler was first published exactly 110 years ago, in Berlin in 1911 which was also the year of its première at Volkstheater in Vienna. At the time, Schnitzler was at the peak of his popularity and the play was simultaneously performed at as many as nine theatres in the German speaking world.

Arthur Schnitzler was born in Austria and trained as a physician but became famous as a storyteller and dramaturgue. He belonged to the avant-garde group of artists called Jung Wien (Young Vienna), and one of the most prominent authors of the so called Wiener Moderne (Viennese Modernism). In his plays he toyed with formal as well as social conventions. Due to his frank descriptions of sexuality he was often accused of being a pornographer. Schnitzler wrote novels, novellas and plays. During his studies he became particularly interested in psychiatry and his personal acquaintance with Sigmund Freud had a significant impact on his writing.