Bertolt Brecht
Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956) was a renowned German poet, playwright, and theatre practitioner. He wrote more than fifty plays and developed the tradition of epic theatre (or as he called it, dialectical theatre). His work has been some of the most influential of the twentieth century, and his concept of alienation is still known as a "Brechtian technique". Private Life is a unique work, because while it employs many of his developing epic theatre techniques, it shows that he also knew the importance of realistic propaganda theatre, given the current climate.
In 1933, Brecht left Nazi Germany for what would become 15 years of exile. His work in Germany was not looked fondly upon by the Nazi government, and Brecht remained out of the country until 1948. His absence from the country is particularly curious when considering his opening anti-Nazi play Fear and Misery in the Third Reich (known on this site by its American successor, The Private Life of the Master Race), which depicts like in 1930s Nazi Germany. At the time, Brecht was in Denmark, but he had many visitors coming through from Germany, all of them eager to keep him informed on life in his homeland under the Third Reich.
In 1933, Brecht left Nazi Germany for what would become 15 years of exile. His work in Germany was not looked fondly upon by the Nazi government, and Brecht remained out of the country until 1948. His absence from the country is particularly curious when considering his opening anti-Nazi play Fear and Misery in the Third Reich (known on this site by its American successor, The Private Life of the Master Race), which depicts like in 1930s Nazi Germany. At the time, Brecht was in Denmark, but he had many visitors coming through from Germany, all of them eager to keep him informed on life in his homeland under the Third Reich.