Verfremdungseffekt (German Verfremdung = making strange something that is known or familiar) is commonly, if not very accurately, translated as “alienation effect”. Perhaps more appropriate, although less frequently encountered, are the translations “distancing” or “estrangement effect”. Verfremdungseffekt applies to the function of any theatrical device or technique designed to dispel the audience's notion that “reality” is directly represented or enacted on stage. Verfremdung creates an “estranged”, i.e. detached, and potentially rational, reception of a play, and thus counteracts the spectators' emotional involvement or identification with the characters or action displayed. It is sometimes meant to open a window to the actual social or historical circumstances reflected in the play.
The term Verfremdungseffekt (also: V-Effekt) was coined by Bertolt Brecht (in print for the first time 1936), and anti-illusionist...
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Citation: Knapp, Gerhard P.. "Estrangement Effect [Verfremdungseffekt]". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 18 December 2006 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=355, accessed 05 December 2025.]
