Borchert, Wolfgang

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

Borchert, Wolfgang (1921–47), German dramatist, whose only play, Draussen vor der Tür, was performed on 21 Nov. 1947, the day after the author's death. A passionate protest against contemporary corruption and decadence, it made a deep impact on war-torn Germany, and has been frequently revived, being considered a link between the plays of Expressionism and the later Theatre of the Absurd. Its central character was a soldier who returns from a prisoner-of-war camp (of which Borchert had personal experience after being captured on the Russian front) and was unable to adapt himself to civilian life. Through him Borchert voiced the nihilism and despair of Germany after the Second World War. As The Man Outside, it was published in 1952 in translation.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Borchert, Wolfgang." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Borchert, Wolfgang." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BorchertWolfgang.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Borchert, Wolfgang." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-BorchertWolfgang.html

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