Heinar Kipphardt

Kipphardt, Heinar (Heidersdorf, Silesia, 1922-82, Munich), qualified in medicine at Düsseldorf University, and from 1951 to 1959 was dramatic adviser (Dramaturg) at the Deutsches Theater in East Berlin. In 1959 he came to West Germany, settling at Munich. He is the author of the satirical comedies Shakespeare dringend gesucht (1954, performed 1953) and Die Stühle des Herrn Szmil (1958, performed 1961). Der Aufstieg des Alois Piontek (1956, performed 1960) is described as a tragicomic farce. Der Hund des Generals first appeared as a story, written in 1957 and published in Die Ganovenfresse in 1964. It is a bitter satire on war.

Kipphardt later became known for the documentary plays In der Sache J. Robert Oppenheimer (televised 1964), dealing with the injustice of McCarthyist hysteria in the USA in the 1950s, and Joel Brand. Die Geschichte eines Geschäfts (1965), which is concerned with the proposal to barter Hungarian Jews for lorries, to which attention was drawn by the trial of K. A. Eichmann in Israel. Kipphardt also wrote the comedy Die Nacht, in der der Chef geschlachtet wurde (1967); he adapted Die Soldaten by J. M. R. Lenz for the modern stage. His primary concern is with injustice and conscience. The novel März (1976) takes its title from the central character, Alexander März (based on the Austrian writer A. Herbrich). Written in the form of a (fictitious) montage, it argues with modern psychiatry and ends with the suicide of März. It was followed up by the März poems and by the play März. Ein Künstlerleben (1980). The poems Angelsbrucker Notizen and the three stories of Der Mann des Tages (including Der Deserteur) appeared in 1977, two volumes of Theaterstücke in 1978 and 1981, the play Bruder Eichmann, begun at the time of publication of Joel Brand, in 1983, and Traumprotokolle (dated 1978-81) in 1981. His plays appeared in a number of collections, followed by the volumes Schreibt die Wahrheit. Essays, Briefe, Entwürfe 1949-1964 and Ruckediguh—Blut ist im Schuh from the years 1964-82 (both 1989). Gesammelte Werke (10 vols.) appeared in 1990.