Bertolt Brecht

NAME Bertolt Brecht

WHAT FAMOUS FOR Bertolt Brecht is famous for being a playwright, poet, and theatre director. He is best known for developing the epic theatre style and for his plays, including Mother Courage and Her Children, The Threepenny Opera, and The Life of Galileo.

BIRTH Bertolt Brecht was born on February 10, 1898, in Augsburg, Germany.

FAMILY BACKGROUND Brecht was born into a middle-class family. His father, Berthold Friedrich Brecht, was a Catholic and a director of a paper mill, and his mother, Sophie Brecht (née Brezing), was a devout Protestant.

CHILDHOOD Brecht's childhood was relatively comfortable, marked by his early exposure to literature and the arts. He was influenced by his mother's religious upbringing and his father's appreciation for literature. Young Bertolt was a voracious reader and began writing poetry at an early age.

EDUCATION Brecht attended the Königliches Realgymnasium (Royal High School) in Augsburg. He later studied medicine at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich but left to serve as a medical orderly during World War I.

CAREER RECORD Brecht began his career as a playwright. Here's his resume:

Early successes as a playwright in Munich

Moved to Berlin in 1924, his most productive period

Collaborations with composers like Kurt Weill (The Threepenny Opera) and Hanns Eisler

Fled Germany due to Nazi persecution in the 1930s (exile in Denmark, Finland, USA, Switzerland)

Founded the Berliner Ensemble theatre company in East Berlin (1949)

APPEARANCE Brecht was stocky with  a round face and dark hair. He had an intellectual look, often wearing glasses and a modest, unassuming style of dress.

Brecht in 1954. By Bundesarchiv, Bild Wikipedia

FASHION Brecht preferred simple, practical clothing. He was often seen in a workmanlike jacket and trousers, emphasizing function over fashion.

CHARACTER Complex and contradictor, Brecht was known for his sharp intellect, strong will, and sometimes abrasive personality. He was a critical thinker with a passion for social justice and often challenged the status quo.

Bertolt Brecht spoke with a rasping Swabian accent. 

SENSE OF HUMOUR Brecht had a wry sense of humour, which is evident in much of his work, particularly in his plays and poems. He often used satire and irony in his work.

RELATIONSHIPS Brecht had several significant relationships. He married the Austrian opera singer Marianne Zoff in 1922 and their daughter Hanne Marianne was born on March 12, 1923.

He later married German actress Helene Weigel in 1929, who became a key collaborator in his theatrical work. They had two children, Stefan Brecht and Barbara Brecht-Schall. Weigel was a Communist Party member from 1930

Brecht also had numerous affairs and relationships with women who were often his muses and collaborators.

MONEY AND FAME Brecht achieved considerable fame and financial success, particularly after the success of The Threepenny Opera. Despite this, he often lived modestly and invested much of his money back into his theatrical projects.

FOOD AND DRINK Brecht was known to enjoy good food and drink.

MUSIC AND ARTS Music played a crucial role in Brecht's works, especially in his collaborations with composer Kurt Weill. Brecht had a deep appreciation for the arts, which is reflected in his innovative theatrical productions.

Munich is where Brecht first got his name in lights, or at least flickering gas lamps. But Berlin in the 1920s? That's where things got truly operatic – and we're not just talking about the time he teamed up with Elisabeth Hauptmann and Kurt Weill to create the smash hit, The Threepenny Opera (which was more of a two-shilling opera, let's be honest). This was also when Brecht started this lifelong jam session with composer Hanns Eisler.

Marxism was all the rage back then, and Brecht wasn't one to miss a party. He started churning out these "Lehrstücke" plays, basically plays that hit you over the head with a message like a particularly enthusiastic game of whack-a-mole.  He also became a bit of a guru for this new kind of theatre he called "epic theatre" (though later on he decided "dialectical theatre" was much more profound). Oh, and he invented a fancy term – "Verfremdungseffekt" – which basically means he liked to jolt the audience out of their usual theatre doze with a good shake-up.

Then came the Nazis, those chaps never good for a good time. Brecht wasn't exactly on their Christmas card list, so he scarpered – first to Scandinavia, then all the way across the pond to the USA during World War II.  After the war, Brecht hightailed it back to Berlin, the eastern half this time, and founded the Berliner Ensemble with his wife Helene Weigel. They were quite the power couple on the theatre scene.

LITERATURE Brecht was an avid reader and writer, influenced by a wide range of literary traditions. He was a prolific writer f plays, poetry, and theoretical writings on theatre and literature.

NATURE Brecht appreciated nature, often incorporating natural elements and settings into his works. He enjoyed spending time outdoors, finding inspiration in the natural world.

HOBBIES AND SPORTS Brecht's main hobbies were reading, writing, and engaging in intellectual debates. 

SCIENCE AND MATHS Brecht had an interest in science, particularly evident in his play The Life of Galileo, which explores the conflict between science and authority.

PHILOSOPHY & THEOLOGY Brecht's work was heavily influenced by Marxist philosophy. He used his plays to critique capitalist society and promote socialist ideals. His theological views were less clear, though he often questioned traditional religious values.

SCANDAL Brecht's life and work often courted controversy. His political beliefs and activities led to scrutiny and exile from Nazi Germany. He faced further controversy in the United States during the McCarthy era for his communist affiliations.

MILITARY RECORD Brecht served as a medical orderly during World War I, an experience that deeply affected his views on war and influenced his later works.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS Brecht's health was often precarious. He suffered from various illnesses, including rheumatic fever in his youth, and later heart problems.

HOMES Brecht lived in various places throughout his life, including Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, and the United States. After World War II, he settled in East Berlin, where he established the Berliner Ensemble.

TRAVEL Brecht traveled extensively due to his political exile and professional engagements. His travels included stays in various European countries and the United States.

DEATH Bertolt Brecht died of a heart attack on August 14, 1956, in East Berlin, at the age of 58.

APPEARANCES IN MEDIA Brecht's works continue to be adapted and performed worldwide, maintaining a significant presence in contemporary media.

Brecht's impact wasn't just confined to stuffy theatre halls. His team-up with composer Kurt Weill ended up rocking out in a whole new way. Bobby Darin, for instance, made a mega-hit in 1959 with "Mack the Knife" from The Threepenny Opera. Talk about a catchy tune with a criminal twist!

And get this: a poem Brecht wrote called "The Alabama Song" (originally published in his 1927 collection "Hauspostille") got a musical makeover by Weill for their play Mahagonny. Fast forward to the 1960s, and The Doors slap it on their debut album! David Bowie followed suit releasing it as a single in 1980 proving Brecht's words had a rebellious streak that resonated with the rock and roll crowd.

ACHIEVEMENTS Brecht's achievements include revolutionizing modern theatre with his epic theatre concept, creating a lasting body of plays that continue to be performed, and founding the influential Berliner Ensemble. His contributions to theatre theory and practice have left an indelible mark on the world of performing arts.