It is written

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It is written is a drama by Friedrich Dürrenmatt , in which, partly with grotesque and comedic means, the Anabaptist empire of Münster and its rise and fall from 1533–1536 is depicted.

content

At the beginning, three Anabaptists take the stage. They present texts that convey some of their central beliefs to the audience, such as community of property (which also includes the "possession" of women) or the imminent expectation of the Last Judgment. A monk, who himself emphasizes that he is not a historical but a fictional character, then leads on to the actual plot: two street sweepers and a guard find Johann Bockelson lying drunk in a dung cart. He claims that the Archangel Gabriel carried him into the city by air, and he announces his future rule. Then he visits Bernhard Knipperdollinck , the richest citizen of the city. According to the Anabaptist doctrine, he wants to convince him of a life in poverty - but then to secure Knipperdollinck's wealth and his wife Katharina himself. Meanwhile, Lutheran and Catholic citizens who do not want to convert are expelled from the city, as well as the Catholic Bishop Franz von Waldeck .

The monk in the opening scene is said to be publicly executed for “lying with a woman”. But it doesn't come to that because Knipperdollinck enters the scene with a large sack of gold and gives everything away to the bystanders. A commotion ensues and the monk is able to flee the city.

The leader of the Anabaptists, Jan Mathisson , consults in a meeting with Bockelson, Bernd Rothmann and Bernhard Krechting about an imminent attack on the city: The bishop has gathered troops against the Anabaptists. Mathisson refuses to take defensive measures, since he trusts only in God's assistance. The bishop attacks the city with knights and mercenaries. Mathisson, trusting in a divine miracle, goes alone to meet the enemy and is killed. Thereupon Bockelson proclaims himself king of the Anabaptist empire and leads the citizens in the defense of the city.

The bishop asked Emperor Charles the Fifth for troops for a siege of Münster. But this is writhing out of its responsibility. However, the Lutheran Landgrave Philip of Hesse sent 6,000 men to the Catholic bishop - so both denominations unite against the Anabaptists.

Knipperdollinck lives in poverty and was appointed executioner of the Anabaptist Empire, but wants to get rid of this office. Meanwhile, Bockelson and his 15 wives (including Knipperdollinck and Mathisson's former wives) indulge in luxury. He reacts with violence to the requests of the starving population. His wife Katharina (former Knipperdollinck) tries to escape the city by bribing a guard, but ends up running into Bockelson himself, who has taken the guard's place and kills them.

Knipperdollinck's daughter Judith has now also become one of Bockelson's wives, for which she is ashamed of her father. She wants to imitate her namesake Judith , who killed Holofernes , and save the city by sneaking out into the enemy's camp and killing the bishop. However, the bishop sees through her plan. He gives her the chance to return to town. She refuses, however, and accepts that she will be executed the next day.

Food supplies are also running low at Johann Bockelson's royal court. Bockelson and Knipperdollinck, apparently both mentally confused, dance at night over the roof of the palace and then to the city gate, which they open to the enemy.

The final scene shows the execution of Knipperdollinck and Bockelson by wheels .

Origin and reception

It is written was Dürrenmatt's first drama. He wrote it in 1945/46 and it was premiered on April 19, 1947 in the Schauspielhaus Zurich under the direction of Kurt Horwitz . The premiere led to a theatrical scandal , on the one hand because of the content, which some critics regarded as blasphemous , and on the other hand because of the unconventional style of the production. The first edition was also published by Schwabe Verlag in Basel in 1947 ; In 1948 Dürrenmatt received the Welti Prize for the piece .

In 1952 he had the piece blocked for further performances. The French translation by Pierre Bühler is entitled Les fous de dieu ("The Fools of God").

20 years later Dürrenmatt took up the same material again and reworked it into a comedy. The work, entitled The Anabaptists , premiered on March 16, 1967, also at the Schauspielhaus Zurich (director: Werner Düggelin ).

Text output

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Patricia Dickson: How faith shaped the atheist Dürrenmatt . Published on ref.ch, the portal of the Reformed on November 30, 2017, there also photos from the world premiere; accessed June 17, 2020.
  2. ^ Johannes Jacobi: The theatrical writer Dürrenmatt . In: Die Zeit 12/1967, March 24, 1967; accessed June 17, 2020.