Carl Zuckmayer, Des Teufels General [The Devil's General]

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One of Carl Zuckmayer’s best known dramas,

Des Teufels General

[

The Devil’s General

, 1946] deals with serious moral issues of the Germans under Hitler’s regime during World War II. The play is a classic three-act drama set in and around Berlin, with a title for each act:

Erster Akt — Höllenmaschine

[

Act One Hell Machine

], set in a reserved room of the old German “Otto’s Restaurant”;

Zweiter Akt — Galgenfrist oder Die Hand

[

Act Two Hangman Time or The Hand

] takes place in General Harras’ apartment in the “New West”, a large studio on the top floor of a modern house; and

Dritter Akt — Verdammnis

[

Act Three Damnation

] is set in the technical office of a military airport close to Berlin.

Zuckmayer developed the main components of the play during his exile

3746 words

Citation: Yang, Peter J.. "Des Teufels General". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 10 May 2017 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=35868, accessed 14 December 2024.]

35868 Des Teufels General 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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