Brecht was born on February 10th 1898 in Augsburg in Germany. His full name was `Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht'. He went to an elementary school and later on to the University of Munich where he studied medicine in 1917-18. He served as a medical orderly in the First World War. His first wife was Marianne Zoff who he married in 1922, but sadly divorced in 1927. They had one daughter. His second wife was an actress called Helene Weigel. They married in 1929 and had one son and one daughter. He also had another son by Paula Banholzer.
He was a German playwright, poet, theatrical reformer and director. His work dominated 20th century German theatres and during World War II his work influenced many people in Western theatres. His first play was called Baal, it was produced in 1923. He has produced a large number of plays: Leben das Galilei, Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti, Aus Ausgewahlte Gedichte Nachwort von Walter Jens, Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, Trommelm in der Nacht Komodie and many others. He wrote Galileo while living in Los Angeles. He started writing it while living in Denmark in the late 1930s. After he met the actor Charles Laughton in 1944, he and Laughton put together the English version of the play. This took three and a half years. Together they translated the German play into English. The play was scheduled to begin on July 24th 1947 but was delayed until July 31st.
Ellie Murphy
December 9, 1999.
Back home