Ranked as one of the most popular German authors and playwrights of the
20th century, Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) became globally known even in
life, and his texts, artistic ideas and experiments have been around
ever since. In Berlin, “the city that makes clever”, he witnessed the
turbulent times of the Weimar Republic before fleeing the National
Socialists in 1933, and it was here that he saw the founding of the GDR
after returning from exile in 1948. The socio-political incidents and
developments of these years strongly influenced his life and work, which
in turn allow us to relive the history and culture of Germany in
general and Berlin in particular. Focusing mainly on Brecht’s poetry
(i.a. Manual of Piety, Svendborg Poems, Buckow Elegies) and stage plays (i.a. The Threepenny Opera, Mother Courage and her Children)
while also consulting autobiographical and theoretical writings, the
bilingual seminar aims to trace possible connections between art,
society and politics and to discuss aspects like artistic purpose and
responsibility and political censorship. We will visit the Berlin
Ensemble and Brecht’s former residence in midtown (with museum and
archive) as well as a theatre performance as part of the course.
- Course owner: Carolin Sibilak