Brecht’s dramatisation of the Paris Commune of 1871 was conceived around 1937, written mainly in 1947 or 1948 and completed in 1949, but found too controversial to be the first production of the
Berliner Ensemble. The loosely strung, episodic scenes, much more closely based on good historical research than any previous Brecht play, show (in edited, simplified form) events from the collapse of the Trochu government which left the National Guard in charge of besieged Paris, through “the hectic period of indecision and utopian planning” (Dickson) to the final doomed defence of democracy. There are three threads: atmosphere on the streets, the discussions of the Central Committee of the National Guard and later of the Commune, and the political manoeuvrings of the national authorities…
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Citation: White, Alfred D.. "Die Tage der Commune". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 April 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=16738, accessed 23 November 2024.]
