Brecht short biography. Bertolt Brecht: biography, personal life, family, creativity and best books

German playwright and poet, one of the leaders of the "epic theater" movement.

Born February 10, 1898 in Augsburg. After graduating from a real school, in 1917-1921 he studied philosophy and medicine at the University of Munich. In his student years he wrote the plays Baal (Baal, 1917–1918) and Drums in the Night (Trommeln in der Nacht, 1919). The last, staged by the Munich Chamber Theater on September 30, 1922, won the Prize. Kleist. Brecht became a playwright at the Chamber Theatre.

Anyone who fights for communism must be able to fight and stop it, be able to tell the truth and keep silent about it, serve faithfully and refuse service, keep and break promises, follow a dangerous path and avoid risk, be famous and keep a low profile .

Brecht Bertolt

In the autumn of 1924 he moved to Berlin, having received a similar place in the German Theater from M. Reinhardt. Around 1926 he became a freelance artist and studied Marxism. The following year, Brecht's first book of poems was published, as well as a short version of Mahagonny's play, his first work in collaboration with the composer K. Weil. Their Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) was shown with great success on August 31, 1928 in Berlin, and then throughout Germany. From that moment until the coming to power of the Nazis, Brecht wrote five musicals, known as "study plays" ("Lehrst cke"), to the music of Weil, P. Hindemith and H. Eisler.

On February 28, 1933, the day after the Reichstag fire, Brecht left Germany and settled in Denmark; in 1935 he was stripped of his German citizenship. Brecht wrote poetry and sketches for anti-Nazi movements, in 1938-1941 he created four of his largest plays - Life of Galileo (Leben des Galilei), Mother Courage and her children (Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder), Good Man from Cezuan (Der gute Mensch von Sezuan) and Lord Puntila and his servant Matti (Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti). In 1940 the Nazis invaded Denmark and Brecht was forced to leave for Sweden and then to Finland; in 1941 he left for the USA through the USSR, where he wrote The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Der kaukasische Kreidekreis, 1941) and two more plays, and also worked on the English version of Galileo.

After leaving America in November 1947, the writer ended up in Zurich, where he created his main theoretical work The Small Organon (Kleines Organon, 1947) and the last completed play, Days of the Commune (Die Tage der Commune, 1948-1949). In October 1948 he moved to the Soviet sector of Berlin, and on January 11, 1949 there was the premiere of Mother Courage in his production, with his wife Elena Weigel in the title role. They also founded their own troupe, the "Berliner Ensemble", for which Brecht adapted or directed about twelve plays. In March 1954, the group received the status of a state theater.

It is not death that should be feared, but an empty life.

Brecht Bertolt

Brecht has always been a controversial figure, especially in the divided Germany of his last years. In June 1953, after the riots in East Berlin, he was accused of loyalty to the regime, and many West German theaters boycotted his plays.

In 1954 Brecht received the Lenin Prize.

Brecht died on August 14, 1956 in East Berlin. Much of what he wrote remained unpublished; many of his plays were not staged on the professional German stage.

Bertolt Brecht photo

Bertolt Brecht - quotes

It is not death that should be feared, but an empty life.

short biography German playwright, poet, prose writer, theatrical figure is described in this article. Brecht is the founder of the Berliner Ensemble Theatre.

Bertolt Brecht short biography

He was born February 10, 1898 in the city of Augsburg in the family of a wealthy employee of a trading company.

While studying at the city real gymnasium (1908-1917), he began to write poetry, stories, which were published in the Augsburg News newspaper (1914-1915). Already in his school writings, a sharply negative attitude towards the war was traced.

He studied medicine and literature at the University of Munich. But in 1918, having interrupted his studies, he worked as an orderly in a military hospital, where he writes poetry and the play "Baal".

In 1919, the play "Drums of the Night" was born, which was awarded the Heinrich Kleist Prize.

In 1923 he moved to Berlin, where he worked as the head of the literary department and director at the Max Reinhardt Theater.

In the second half of the 1920s, the writer experienced a worldview and creative turning point: he became interested in Marxism, became close to the communists, developed the concept of "epic drama", which he tested in plays: "The Threepenny Opera" (1928), "Saint Joan of the Slaughterhouse" (1929-1931 ) and etc.

1933-1948 period of emigration, the family moves to Austria, and then, after its occupation, to Sweden and Finland. When Finland entered the war, Brecht and his family moved to the United States. It was in exile that he wrote his most famous plays - Mother Courage and Her Children (1938), Fear and Despair in the Third Empire (1939), Life of Galileo (1943), Good Man from Sesuan (1943), "Caucasian chalk circle" (1944), in which the thought of the need for man's struggle with the outdated world order ran like a red thread.

After the end of the war, he had to leave the United States due to the threat of persecution. In 1947, Brecht went to live in Switzerland, the only country that had issued him a visa.

Bertolt Brecht is one of the most famous and extraordinary figures in world literature. This talented bright poet, writer-philosopher, original playwright, theatrical figure, art theorist, founder of the so-called epic theater is known to almost every educated person. His numerous works do not lose their relevance to this day.

Biographical information

From the biography of Bertolt Brecht, it is known for certain that he comes from the Bavarian city of Augsburg, from a fairly wealthy family in which he was the first child. Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (this is his full name) was born on February 10, 1898.

From the age of six, for four years (1904-1908), the boy studied at the folk school of the Franciscan monastic order. Then he entered the Bavarian Royal Real Gymnasium, where the most deeply studied humanitarian subjects.

Here, the future poet and playwright studied for nine years, and throughout the entire period of study, his relationship with teachers developed tensely because of the very freedom-loving nature of the young poet.

In his own family, Berthold also did not find understanding, relations with his parents became more and more alienated: Berthold was more and more imbued with the problems of the poor, and the desire of his parents to accumulate material wealth disgusted him.

The first wife of the poet was the actress and singer Marianna Zoff, who was five years older than him. A daughter was born in a young family, who later became a famous actress.

Brecht's second wife was Elena Weigel, also an actress, they had a son and a daughter.

Among other things, Bertolt Brecht was also famous for his love of love and was a success with women. He also had illegitimate children.

The beginning of literary activity

Possessing a heightened sense of justice and an undoubted literary gift, Brecht could not remain aloof from the political events taking place in his native country and world. For almost every incident of any importance, the poet responded with a topical work, a biting verse.

The literary gift of Bertolt Brecht began to manifest itself in his youth, at the age of sixteen he was already regularly published in local periodicals. These were poems, short stories, all kinds of essays, even theater reviews.

Berthold actively studied folk oral and theatrical creativity, got acquainted with the poetry of German poets and writers, in particular, with the dramaturgy of Frank Wedekind.

After graduating from the gymnasium in 1917, Brecht entered the medical faculty at the Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich. While studying at this university, Brecht simultaneously mastered playing the guitar, showed the makings of acting and directing skills.

His studies at the medical institute had to be interrupted, since the time had come for the young man to serve in the army, but since it was military time, the parents of the future poet sought a deferment, and Berthold had to go to work as an orderly in a military hospital.

The writing of the poem "The Legend of the Dead Soldier" belongs to this period. This work became widely known, including thanks to the author himself, who performed it to the public with a guitar (by the way, he wrote the music for his texts himself). Subsequently, it was this poem that served as one of the main reasons for depriving the author of the citizenship of his native country.

In general, the path to literature was quite thorny for him, he was haunted by failures, but perseverance and perseverance, confidence in his talent, eventually brought him world fame and glory.

Revolutionary and anti-fascist

In the early 20s of the 20th century, in the pubs of Munich, Bertolt Brecht witnessed the first steps of Adolf Hitler in the political field, but then he did not see a threat in this politician, but then he became a staunch anti-fascist.

Each event or phenomenon in the country found an active literary response in the writer's work. His works were topical, vividly and clearly exposed the problems of the then Germany.

The writer was more and more imbued with revolutionary ideas, which could not please the bourgeois public, and the premieres of his plays began to be accompanied by scandals.

A staunch communist, Brecht becomes the object of harassment and persecution. Surveillance is established behind him, his works are subjected to merciless censorship.

Brecht wrote many anti-fascist works, in particular, "The Song of the Storm Trooper", "When Fascism Gained Strength" and others.

The fascists who came to power put his name on the black list of people who need to be destroyed.

The poet understood that in such conditions he was doomed, so he urgently decided to emigrate.

Forced emigration

Over the next fifteen years, or rather, from 1933 to 1948, the poet and his family had to constantly move. Here is a list of just some of the countries in which he lived: Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, USA.

Brecht was an active anti-fascist, and this did not contribute to the calm and measured life of his family in other countries. The nature of the fighter against injustice made it difficult and dangerous to live in the position of a political exile in each of these states.

The threat of extradition to the Nazi authorities constantly hung over him, so the family had to move often, sometimes changing their place of residence several times in one year.

In exile, Brecht wrote many works that made him famous: "The Threepenny Romance", "Fear and Despair in the Third Empire", "The Rifles of Teresa Carrar", "The Life of Galileo", "Mother Courage and Her Children".

Brecht is seriously engaged in the development of the theory of "epic theater". This theater haunts him since the second half of the 20s of the twentieth century. Acquiring the features of a political theater, it became more and more relevant.

The poet's family returned to Europe in 1947, and to Germany even later - in 1948.

The best works

The work of Bertolt Brecht began with the traditional writing of poems, songs, ballads. His poems were written, immediately laying down to music, he himself performed his ballads with a guitar.

Until the end of his life, he remained primarily a poet; he also wrote his plays in verse. But the poems of Bertolt Brecht had a peculiar form, they were written in a "torn rhythm." Early and more mature poetic works differ greatly in writing style, objects of description, rhyme is also noticeably different.

During his not too long life, Brecht wrote quite a lot of books, proving to be quite a prolific author. Among the many of his works, critics single out the best. Listed below are the books of Bertolt Brecht, which are included in the golden fund of world literature.

"Life of Galileo"- one of the most significant dramatic works of Brecht. This drama tells about the life of the great 17th-century scientist Galileo Galilei, about the problem of freedom of scientific creativity, as well as the responsibility of a scientist to society.

One of the most famous plays "Mother Courage and her children". It was not for nothing that Bertolt Brecht appropriated such a speaking nickname to his heroine mother Courage. This play tells the story of a grocer, a canker who travels by transporting her sales wagon through Europe during the Thirty Years' War.

For her, the universal human tragedy that is happening around is just an excuse to get income. Carried away by her mercantile interests, she does not immediately notice how the war, as a price for the opportunity to profit from the suffering of people, takes away her children.

A play by Bertolt Brecht "Kind Man from Sichuan" written in the form of a dramatic legend.

The play "The Threepenny Opera" was a triumph on world stages, is considered one of the most high-profile theatrical premieres of the century.

"Threepenny Romance" (1934)- the only major prose work of the famous writer.

"Book of Changes"- philosophical collection of parables, aphorisms in 5 volumes. Dedicated to the problems of morality, criticism of the social system in Germany and the Soviet Union. The main characters of his book - Lenin, Marx, Stalin, Hitler - the author assigned Chinese names.

Of course, this is not a complete list of the best books of Bertolt Brecht. But they are the most famous.

Poetry as the basis of dramaturgy

Where does any poet or writer begin their journey? Of course, from the writing of the first poems or stories. The poems of Bertolt Brecht began to appear in print as early as 1913-1914. In 1927, a collection of his poems "Home Sermons" was published.

The creations of the young Brecht were permeated with disgust for the hypocrisy of the bourgeoisie, its official morality, which covered up the true life of the bourgeoisie with its unsightly manifestations.

With his poetry, Brecht tried to teach his reader to truly understand those things that only at first glance seem obvious and understandable.

At a time when the world was going through an economic crisis, the invasion of fascism and plunging into the boiling cauldron of World War II, the poetry of Bertolt Brecht reacted very sensitively to everything that was happening around and reflected all the burning problems and questions of his time.

But even now, despite the fact that times have changed, his poetry sounds modern, fresh and relevant, because it is real, created for all time.

epic theater

Bertolt Brecht is the greatest theorist and director. He is the founder of a new theater with the introduction of additional actors into the performance - the author (narrator), the choir - and the use of all kinds of other means so that the viewer can look at what is happening from different angles, catch the author's attitude to his character.

By the mid-1920s, Bertolt Brecht's theater theory had been formulated. And in the late 1920s, the playwright became more and more famous and recognizable, his literary fame was growing at a cosmic speed.

The success of the production of The Threepenny Opera in 1928, with the magnificent music of the famous composer Kurt Weill, was amazing. The play made a splash among the sophisticated and spoiled Berlin theater audience.

The works of Bertolt Brecht are gaining wider international resonance.

“Naturalism,” wrote Brecht, “gave the theater the opportunity to create exceptionally subtle portraits, scrupulously, in every detail to depict social “corners” and individual small events. When it became clear that naturalists overestimated the influence of the immediate, material environment on a person's social behavior ... - then interest in the "interior" disappeared. A broader background took on significance, and it was necessary to be able to show its variability and the contradictory effects of its radiation.

After returning to Germany, Brecht begins staging his play Mother Courage and Her Children. On January 11, 1949, the premiere of the performance took place, which was a resounding success. It was a real triumph for the playwright and director.

Bertolt Brecht organizes the theater "Berlin Ensemble". Here he unfolds in full force, carrying out long-cherished creative ideas.

He gains influence in the artistic, cultural, social life of Germany, and this influence gradually spread to the entire world cultural life.

Quotes by Bertolt Brecht

And in bad times there are good people.

Explanations are often justifications.

A person should have at least two pennies of hope, otherwise it is impossible to live.

Words have their own soul.

Revolutions take place at dead ends.

As you can see, Bertolt Brecht was famous for his short but sharp, well-aimed and precise statements.

Stalin Prize

When World War II ended, a new threat hung over the world - the threat of nuclear war. In 1946, the confrontation between the two nuclear superpowers of the world began: the USSR and the USA.

This war is called "cold", but it really threatened the entire planet. Bertolt Brecht could not stand aside, he, like no one else, understood how fragile the world is and that every effort should be made to preserve it, because the fate of the planet literally hung in the balance.

In his own struggle for peace, Brecht emphasized the intensification of his social and creative activities, dedicated to the strengthening of international relations. The symbol of his theater was the dove of peace, which adorned the backstage curtain of the "Berlin Ensemble".

His efforts were not in vain: in December 1954, Brecht was awarded the International Stalin Prize "For the strengthening of peace among peoples." To receive this award, Bertolt Brecht arrived in Moscow in May 1955.

The writer was given an excursion to Soviet theaters, but the performances disappointed him: in those days, the Soviet theater was going through hard times.

In the 1930s, Brecht visited Moscow, then this city was known abroad as a "theatrical Mecca", but in the 1950s, nothing remained of his former theatrical glory. The revival of the theater happened much later.

Last years

In the mid-1950s, Brecht worked very hard, however, as always. Unfortunately, his health began to deteriorate, it turned out that he had a bad heart, and the writer and playwright was not used to taking care of himself.

The general decline in strength was clearly expressed already in the spring of 1955: Brecht had passed badly, at the age of 57 he walked with a cane and looked like a very old man.

In May 1955, before being sent to Moscow, he draws up a will in which he asks that the coffin with his body not be displayed to the public.

The next spring, he worked on a production of the play "The Life of Galileo" in his theater. He had a heart attack, but since he was asymptomatic, Brecht paid no attention to him and continued to work. He mistook his growing weakness for overwork, and in the middle of spring he made an attempt to abandon overload and simply leave to rest. But this did not help, the state of health did not improve.

On August 10, 1956, Brecht had to come to Berlin for a rehearsal of the play "Caucasian Chalk Circle" in order to control the process of preparing the theater for the upcoming tour in the UK.

But alas, from the evening of August 13, his condition began to deteriorate sharply. The next day, August 14, 1956, the writer's heart stopped. Bertolt Brecht did not live to see his sixtieth birthday for two years.

The funeral took place three days later, at the small Dorotheenstadt cemetery, which was located not far from his house. The funeral was attended only by the closest friends, family members and the staff of the theater "Berlin Ensemble". Following the will, no speeches were made over Brecht's grave.

Only a few hours later the official wreath-laying ceremony took place. Thus, his last wish was fulfilled.

The creative heritage of Bertolt Brecht is of the same interest as during the life of the author, and performances based on his works continue to be staged all over the world.

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German playwright and poet, one of the leaders of the "epic theater" movement.

Born February 10, 1898 in Augsburg. After graduating from a real school, in 1917-1921 he studied philosophy and medicine at the University of Munich. In his student years he wrote the plays Baal (Baal, 1917-1918) and Drums in the Night (Trommeln in der Nacht, 1919). The last, staged by the Munich Chamber Theater on September 30, 1922, won the Prize. Kleist. Brecht became a playwright at the Chamber Theatre.

Anyone who fights for communism must be able to fight and stop it, be able to tell the truth and keep silent about it, serve faithfully and refuse service, keep and break promises, follow a dangerous path and avoid risk, be famous and keep a low profile .

Brecht Bertolt

In the autumn of 1924 he moved to Berlin, having received a similar place in the German Theater from M. Reinhardt. Around 1926 he became a freelance artist and studied Marxism. The following year, Brecht's first book of poems was published, as well as a short version of Mahagonny's play, his first work in collaboration with the composer K. Weil. Their Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) was shown with great success on August 31, 1928 in Berlin, and then throughout Germany. From that moment until the coming to power of the Nazis, Brecht wrote five musicals, known as "study plays" ("Lehrst cke"), to the music of Weil, P. Hindemith and H. Eisler.

On February 28, 1933, the day after the Reichstag fire, Brecht left Germany and settled in Denmark; in 1935 he was stripped of his German citizenship. Brecht wrote poetry and sketches for anti-Nazi movements, in 1938-1941 he created four of his largest plays - Life of Galileo (Leben des Galilei), Mother Courage and her children (Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder), Good Man from Cezuan (Der gute Mensch von Sezuan) and Lord Puntila and his servant Matti (Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti). In 1940 the Nazis invaded Denmark and Brecht was forced to leave for Sweden and then to Finland; in 1941 he left for the USA through the USSR, where he wrote The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Der kaukasische Kreidekreis, 1941) and two more plays, and also worked on the English version of Galileo.

After leaving America in November 1947, the writer ended up in Zurich, where he created his main theoretical work The Small Organon (Kleines Organon, 1947) and the last completed play, Days of the Commune (Die Tage der Commune, 1948-1949). In October 1948 he moved to the Soviet sector of Berlin, and on January 11, 1949 there was the premiere of Mother Courage in his production, with his wife Elena Weigel in the title role. They also founded their own troupe, the "Berliner Ensemble", for which Brecht adapted or directed about twelve plays. In March 1954, the group received the status of a state theater.

Brecht has always been a controversial figure, especially in the divided Germany of his last years. In June 1953, after the riots in East Berlin, he was accused of loyalty to the regime, and many West German theaters boycotted his plays.