Biedermann und die Brandstifter

The play tells the story of the citizen Gottlieb Biedermann, who invites the arsonists into his home in hopes of being spared. It precisely exposes a mindset that aids the success of totalitarian techniques. Biedermann and the Arsonists - a political parable that derives its critical power not from the exposure of lies, but from the portrayal of Biedermann's helplessness in the face of criminals who openly declare their true intentions from the very beginning. The didactic piece without a lesson premiered on March 29, 1958, at the Schauspielhaus Zurich. The German premiere, along with the debut of the epilogue, took place on September 28, 1958, at the Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt am Main. Biedermann and the Arsonists has been part of the theater repertoire for years and is also included in the reading canon for German classes.