Born: 10 February 1898 · Died: 14 August 1956 · Age at death: 58
How old was Bertolt Brecht when he died?
Bertolt Brecht died aged 58. He was born on 10 February 1898 and died on 14 August 1956.
German playwright of The Threepenny Opera and Mother Courage who developed epic theatre to make audiences think critically
Did you know?He fled Nazi Germany in the 1930s and spent many years living in exile, eventually settling in the United States.
Quick facts
Date of birth10 February 1898
Date of death14 August 1956
Age at death58
Cause of deathMyocardial infarction
NationalityGerman
BirthplaceAugsburg, Germany
Occupationplaywright, lyricist, screenwriter
Editor's Take:
Brecht wanted audiences to think, not just feel. His epic theatre broke the illusion of the stage with songs, signs and actors speaking directly to the crowd. He used those techniques to expose injustice and the workings of power. Plays like Mother Courage and The Threepenny Opera remain staples of theatres worldwide. Many techniques in modern drama and film trace back to him.
Key Milestones
1928: The Threepenny Opera – hit with Kurt Weill
1933: Exile – flees Nazi Germany
1941: Mother Courage – first staged
1947: HUAC – questioned in Washington
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known as Bertolt Brecht and Bert Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet.
Bertolt Brecht's birthday is February 10. He was born on February 10, 1898 in Augsburg, Germany.
How old was Bertolt Brecht when he died?
Bertolt Brecht died on August 14, 1956, aged 58.
Who shares a birthday with Bertolt Brecht?
Famous people who share Bertolt Brecht's February 10 birthday include Boris Pasternak, Harold Macmillan, Mia Khalifa, Peter III of Russia and Lee Hsien Loong.
