Kurt Regschek grew up in Vienna. During his middle school years he worked several times in the Spanish Riding School. The so-called “War Matura”, after which he was drafted into the Wehrmacht, formed the positive conclusion of the 7th grade; he served in Russia and was wounded several times. Some of his drawings from this period have already survived.

In 1943, in his home garrison in Munich, Kurt was given study leave for the Academy of Fine Arts, was charged with fraternizing with a French woman and was charged with treason and served eight months' pre-trial detention in Torgau. At the end of 1943 he came to Africa for probation at the front and was soon taken prisoner of war. He was deployed as a volunteer by the French troops, then joined the Foreign Legion and took part in the liberation of Vorarlberg in 1945.
The experiences during the war, especially during the Russian campaign, had left deep scars on Kurt Regschek. After his release from the Foreign Legion, Regschek lived in Paris for five years. For four years he studied at the École nationale supérieure des beaux-arts de Paris. During this time he was particularly fascinated and shaped by Picasso, along with the French Cubists.

In 1951, the longing for home drove him back to Vienna. In 1954 he came to his first studio on Köllnerhofgasse. Soon afterwards, his first marriage to Hermine broke up, from which his daughter Trixi, who was born in 1955 and tragically died of a brain tumor in 1970, came. In 1957 he met his future wife Lisl Dohnal. In 1955 Kurt Regschek studied as a guest at the Vienna Art Academy with Robin Christian Andersen and Herbert Boeckl. In all these years Regschek lived from casual work, as a commercial artist, ski instructor as well as graphic artist and extra for film, where he met Fritz Muliar.

In 1958 Kurt Regschek designed his first exhibition with Ernst Fuchs, who also became his best man. After his marriage, he was able to devote himself more intensively to painting, as his wife, who graduated from the Vienna Fashion School in Schloss Hetzendorf, earned the necessary money. The first successes soon set in, which enabled him to live on his art until his death.

Source:
Wikipedia, 2021