Friedrich Dürrenmatt
| Friedrich Dürrenmatt | |
|---|---|
Dürrenmatt in 1989
|
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| Born |
5 January 1921 Konolfingen, Bern, Switzerland |
| Died | 14 December 1990 (aged 69) Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| Occupation | Playwright, novelist |
| Language | German |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Notable works |
The Physicists The Visit |
| Years active | 1957-1990 |
| Spouse | Lotti Geißler (1946-1983) (her death) (3 children) Charlotte Kerr (1984-1990) (his death) |
Friedrich Dürrenmatt (German: [ˈfriːdrɪç ˈdʏrənˌmat]; 5 January 1921 – 14 December 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist. He was a proponent of epic theatre whose plays reflected the recent experiences of World War II. The politically active author's work included avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. Dürrenmatt was a member of the Gruppe Olten.
Dürrenmatt was born in Konolfingen, (canton of Bern), the son of a Protestant pastor. His grandfather, Ulrich Dürrenmatt, was a conservative politician. The family moved to Bern in 1935. Dürrenmatt began studies in philosophy, German language and literature at the University of Zurich in 1941, but moved to the University of Bern after one semester where he also studied natural science. In 1943, he decided to become an author and dramatist and dropped his academic career. In 1945–46, he wrote his first play It is Written. On 11 October 1946, he married the actress Lotti Geissler. She died on 16 January 1983. Dürrenmatt married another actress, Charlotte Kerr, in 1984.
Dürrenmatt also enjoyed painting. Some of his own works and his drawings were exhibited in Neuchâtel in 1976 and 1985, as well as in Zurich in 1978.
Like Brecht, Dürrenmatt explored the dramatic possibilities of epic theatre. Next to Brecht, he has been called its "most original theorist".
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