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Thomas Brasch

トーマス・ブラッシュ

Tomasu Burasshu

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1945-02-19 （Westow, Yorkshire, England）
Died
2001-11-03 （Berlin, Germany） age 56
Nationality
British, German
Languages
German, English
Religion
Judaism
Residence History
Westow, England (birthplace) → East Germany (from 1947; primarily Cottbus and Berlin) → West Germany (from 1976)

Career

Occupations
Author, Poet, Playwright, Film director
Active Years
1966-2001
Influenced By
Bertolt Brecht, East German dissident cultural movement and writers
Influenced
Some contemporary German playwrights and directors

Education

University of Leipzig (studies in journalism, attended)
Period: 1964–1965 (除籍)
Country: Germany (former East Germany)
Ex-matriculated in 1965
Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg (dramaturgy/studies)
Dramaturgy
Period: 1960年代（在籍・学習、終了年不明）
Country: Germany (former East Germany)
Formal degree attainment unclear

Awards

Bavarian Film Awards
1981
Work: Engel aus Eisen
Category: Best Director
Organization: Bavarian State
Result: 受賞
Kleist Prize
1987
Organization: Heinrich von Kleist Society
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Engel aus Eisen

1981 Film / Book (screenplay; book based on film)

A book based on the screenplay of his film of the same name. Ensemble drama exploring social ruptures and personal relationships in Germany.

divisionindividual vs. authorityalienation
Adaptations
  • [Film] Engel aus Eisen / Thomas Brasch (1981)

Domino

1982 Film / Book

Related book for the film he wrote and directed. A story about relationships and memory.

memoryhuman relationships

Lovely Rita

1975 Play

A play later performed in English; deals with personal desires and political conflicts.

personal desirepolitical conflict

Vor den Vätern sterben die Söhne

1977 Prose

Prose work exploring generational conflict and the burden of history in short pieces and fragments.

generational conflicthistory

Bibliography

  • Sie geht, sie geht nicht (play, 1970)
  • Vor den Vätern sterben die Söhne (prose, 1977)
  • Kargo. 32. Versuch auf einem untergehenden Schiff aus der eigenen Haut zu fahren (1977)
  • Der schöne 27. September (poetry, 1980)
  • Engel aus Eisen (book, 1981)
  • Domino (book, 1982)
  • Anton Tschechows Stücke (translations of Chekhov's plays, 1985)
  • Mädchenmörder Brunke (prose, 1999)

Adaptations

  • Film 'Engel aus Eisen', director: Thomas Brasch (1981)
  • Film 'Domino', director: Thomas Brasch (1982)
  • Film 'Der Passagier – Welcome to Germany', director: Thomas Brasch (1988)

Translations by Author

  • German translations of Anton Chekhov's plays (1985)

Translations of Works

  • English productions/translations of 'Lovely Rita' (first English performance c.1976; staged in English at Warwick Arts Centre 2012)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Blend of political/dissident themes with realism and poetic elementsDramatic, dialogue-driven style
Recurring Motifs
division and belongingfather-son relationshipsmemory and burden of the pasturban life and alienation

Legacy

Known as an East German dissident writer, playwright and film director who influenced German theatre and cinema from the 1970s onward. He gained recognition for the film 'Engel aus Eisen' (1981) and received the Kleist Prize in 1987.

Academic Societies

  • Heinrich von Kleist Society (Kleist-Gesellschaft)

Archives

  • Brecht Archive (holds related materials)
  • Publisher and theatre archives (e.g. Suhrkamp Verlag) hold materials

In Popular Culture

  • Film 'Dear Thomas' (2021) — a film about Brasch's life

Quotes

  • Ich danke der DDR.
    Source: 1981 Bavarian Film Awards acceptance speech (1981)

Trivia

  • Born in England in 1945; family returned to East Germany in 1947.
  • Sentenced in 1968 for 'anti-state agitation' and imprisoned.
  • Was in a relationship with actress Katharina Thalbach.
  • Translated works by Anton Chekhov among others.