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

Peter J. Yang (Case Western Reserve University)

Ed. by Jennifer Marston William, Purdue University
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.1: German-language Writing and Culture: Germany, 500-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1946

Places

Germany (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Play

Resources

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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

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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 16 April 2024.]

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