Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Swiss author and dramatist (1921-1990) · Switzerland · Writers · Died at 69

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The Swiss playwright who turned World War II's wreckage into dark, unsettling theatre - and made crime fiction philosophical.

Writers Writer / Author Theatre Literature Painting Screenwriting Poetry DJ

A life in dates

1990Died14 December 19901989Ernst Robert Curtius AwardAward1986Georg Büchner PrizeAwardSchiller Memorial PrizeAward1985Jean-Paul-PreisAward1984Carl Zuckmayer MedalAward1983Austrian State Prize for European LiteratureAward1977“Who sows fear, reaps weapons.”In their wordsAbout Tolerance (1977)Read the whole statement

“That there is also freedom in captivity, only a prisoner can claim. Coming from a prison guard, this statement would be blasphemy.”In their wordsAbout Tolerance (1977)Read the whole statement

Buber-Rosenzweig-MedalAwardHonorary Doctorate from the University of Nice-Sophia AntipolisAward1971“A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory.”In their wordsPortrait of a Planet (1971)Read the whole statement

1968Franz-Grillparzer-PreisAward1961“The worst possible turn cannot be predicted. It occurs by chance.”In their wordsDie Physiker (1961); translated into English as The Physicists (1964) by James KirkupRead the whole statement

1960Schiller prizeAward1958Schillerpreis der Stadt MannheimAward1956“We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior.”In their wordsAct IRead the whole statement

“Rea: My country, above all. Romulus: You see, you've been reading too many tragedies lately. Rea: But shouldn't one love one's country more than anything else in the world?”In their wordsAct IIIRead the whole statement

1921Born5 January 1921

Also in Deutsch

Photos 3

Friedrich duerrenmatt 19890427

UlrichDuerrenmatt

Friedrich duerrenmatt 19890427 (cropped)

In their own words 9

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

9 statements, newest first

Who sows fear, reaps weapons.
1977, About Tolerance (1977), Own words
That there is also freedom in captivity, only a prisoner can claim. Coming from a prison guard, this statement would be blasphemy.
1977, About Tolerance (1977), Own words
A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory.
1971, Portrait of a Planet (1971), Own words

Wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0

Awards

Ernst Robert Curtius Award1989

Georg Büchner Prize1986

Schiller Memorial Prize1986

Jean-Paul-Preis1985

Carl Zuckmayer Medal1984

Austrian State Prize for European Literature1983

Buber-Rosenzweig-Medal1977

Honorary Doctorate from the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis1977

Franz-Grillparzer-Preis1968

Schiller prize1960

Schillerpreis der Stadt Mannheim1958

Family

Parents

Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Partners

Children

Sibling Verena Dürrenmatt

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About this person

Friedrich Dürrenmatt was born on 5 January 1921 in Switzerland and built his career on the belief that epic theatre could process what the war had just done to Europe. His plays carried that recent violence in their bones, while his crime novels asked questions most thrillers ignored. He wrote avant-garde dramas and macabre satire with equal appetite, politically active and unafraid of the grotesque. A member of the Gruppe Olten, he met regularly with other left-wing Swiss writers at a restaurant in the city of Olten. He died on 14 December 1990, leaving work that refused comfort.

Country

Switzerland

In common with Friedrich

Valentina CorteseAlso in The Visit (1964)

Robert ShawAlso in End of the Game (1975)

Connie BoothAlso in The Deadly Game (1982)

Gert FröbeAlso in It Happened in Broad Daylight (1958)

Paolo StoppaAlso in The Visit (1964)

Rostislav PlyattAlso in The Accident (1975)

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