Bertolt Brecht

Born in 1898
Fiction Poetry Theatre
  • Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht was a German playwright, poet, and theater director who revolutionized 20th-century drama.

  • A lifelong Marxist, he developed "epic theater" to explore political ideas through a critical aesthetic of dialectical materialism.

  • Brecht's work combined popular themes with avant-garde experimentation, creating a modernist realism distinct from psychological and socialist varieties.

  • He emphasized collective and collaborative methods, working with numerous artists throughout his career.

  • Brecht's influence extends beyond theater to film and literature.

  • His opposition to fascism is evident in his most famous plays, written during his exile.

  • Brecht's theories and techniques continue to impact contemporary theater, film, and cultural criticism.

Books by Bertolt Brecht