Bertolt Brecht's paper war: exhibition on exile in Magdeburg

Bertolt Brecht's paper war: exhibition on exile in Magdeburg

in 1941, at a time when the world was shaken by war and uncertainty, the important German playwright found refuge in the United States. His arrival in exile not only marked a turning point in his life, but also in his creative creative phase. From September 9th, the exhibition "Bertolt Brecht’s Paper War-newspaper reading in exile America 1941-1947" will be opened in the Magdeburg City Library and examines this formative section of his career.

The opening of the exhibition focuses on the literary disputes that Brecht led in this troubled time. Curator Grischa Meyer will speak about the vernissage and respond to the challenges with which Brecht was confronted when he no longer had the opportunity to direct. However, he had the creative energy to write new pieces and to develop his theories into a new form of theater and literature that was intended for a changing society.

A look at Brecht's work in exile

In the exhibition, Brecht's dealings with the horrors of the Second World War are brought into focus. Two central works that were only published posthumously are crucial for the understanding of his world of thoughts at this time: the "journals" and the photo epigrams, which were later published as "the war bribe". These works show how Brecht processed the reality of the war literarily and used in its dramaturgical technology. The show gives insights into its methodological approach to the epic dramaturgy and the sources of its inspiration.

A fascinating aspect of the exhibition is the research by Grischa Meyer, who was able to document the newspaper sources Brecht from which his pictures and texts drawn. These findings offer a deep insight into the way Brecht observed the current events around the war and its effects on society and used it for its art.

The city library Magdeburg organizes this exhibition in cooperation with the Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation Saxony-Anhalt and the RLS Kulturforum. The hiking exhibition was supported by the Foundation's New York office. Interested parties are invited to take part in the vernissage, which takes place at 5 p.m. in the central library, Wide 109. Entry is free, which offers a wonderful opportunity to experience Bertolt Brecht's remarkable work and to experience its historical context.

This exhibition is not only a tribute to Brecht, but also a window in a time when art and literature served as resistance tools against oppression and for social change.

Photo (c) Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation