Georg Kaiser and the Critics: A Profile of Expressionism’s Leading Playwright

Georg Kaiser (1878-1945) is considered one of the most enigmatic figures in modern German literature; while agreeing on his importance in the development of German drama, critics have always been puzzled by the diversity of and contradictions in his works.

This book traces the evolution of Kaiser’s literary reputation over more than eighty years of scholarship. It shows how the initial critical approaches (formalistic, socio-ethical, psychological) were developed by later scholars; reviews Kaiser’s place in Expressionism and the impact of his aesthetic theories on the development of epic theatre; and offers a performance history of Kaiser’s dramas on stage from 1945 to 1990.