Contemporary German Drama isa sequel to a long-standing undertaking of Zepter Book World Publishers to bring out the dramatic work in major world languages and cultures. After the French, American and Russian contemporary dramatic literature we have arrived at the German-speaking world: Germany, Austria and Switzerland so that by the end of 2017 the readers will have three volumes with 36 plays written between 1945 and 2008. They will include 20 new translations of playwrights less known to the professional public such as HeinarKipphardt’sIn the Matter of J. RobertOppenheimer, Karl Zukmayer’sThe Devil’s General, Peter Hacks’s Worries and Power, Volker Braun’s Hinzeand Kunze, Ulrich Plenzdorf’sThe New Sorrows of Young W., Thomas Brasch’sLovely Rita, Peter Turrini’sJoseph and Maria, Ernst Jandl’sFrom Abroador UrsWidmer’sTop Dogs. Other selected playwrights include, of course, indispensable names such as B. Brecht, H. Müller, M. Frisch, F. Durenmatt, B. Strauss, R.W. Fassbinder, P. Handke, T. Bernhard, E. Jelinek and many others.
Every volume covers a specific period in the political and social history of the German-speaking countries. The first volume opens with texts written in the wake of World War II and closes with turbulences which marked 1968. The second volume covers the dramatic literature between 1968 and 1989, i.e. the fall of the Berlin Wall. The third and last volume covers the period from 1989 until 2008 when the current world economic crisis erupted.
The three-volume anthology is rounded off with analytical texts: forewords by theatre scholar Ivan Medenica, Ph.D., introduction by the editors, a contribution by literary historian NikolinaZobenica, Ph.D. and a contribution by dramaturge Angela Obst in the third volume. Finally, all three volumes feature notes about the authors with bibliographic and theatrographic information.
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