{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{short description|German theatre director and theatre manager}} {{Infobox person | name = Peter Palitzsch | image = Peter Palitzsch (2004) by Guenter Prust.jpg | image_upright = | caption = Palitzsch in 2004 | birth_date = {{birth date|1918|09|11|df=y}} | birth_place = Deutmannsdorf, Silesia, German Empire | death_date = {{death date and age|2004|12|18|1918|09|11|df=y}} | death_place = Havelberg, Germany | education = | occupation = {{plainlist| * Theatre director * Theatre manager }} | organizations = {{plainlist| * Berliner Ensemble * Staatstheater Stuttgart * Schauspiel Frankfurt * Berliner Theatertreffen }} | awards = {{plainlist| * Theaterpreis Berlin * Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany }} }} '''Peter Palitzsch''' (11 September 1918 – 18 December 2004)<ref name="DDR" /> was a German theatre director. He worked with Bertolt Brecht in his Berliner Ensemble from the beginning in 1949, and was in demand internationally as a representative of Brecht's ideas. He was a theatre manager at the Staatstheater Stuttgart and the Schauspiel Frankfurt. Many of his productions were invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen festival. He worked internationally from 1980.
== Life == Born in Deutmannsdorf near Löwenberg, Silesia, the son of a merchant,<ref name="Schumacher" /> Palitzsch grew up in Dresden.<ref name="DDR" /> After gymnasium, he attended a {{ill|Fachschule|de}} to become a graphic artist for advertisement. He ran an advertising agency together with his brother {{ill|Hans Heinrich Palitzsch|de}}.<ref name="Suschke" /> He served in the military for five years and was a prisoner of war for a short time.<ref name="DDR" /> When he returned to the destroyed Dresden,<ref name="Schumacher" /> he was among the founders of the local chapter of the Red Cross. He began his career at the theatre in 1945 as a dramaturge for the Dresdner Volksbühne.<ref name="DDR" />
Bertolt Brecht called him in 1949 as graphic designer, dramaturge and assistant to his new Berliner Ensemble,<ref name="Schumacher" /><ref name="Rorrison" /> which then still played at various stages in Berlin. In 1954, they moved to their own house, the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm. Palitzsch designed the logo which still is installed on the top of the building.<ref name="Schumacher" /><ref name="Rorrison" /> In 1955, he was stage director for the first time, with ''Der große Tag des Gelehrten Wu''.<ref name="DDR" /> In 1956, he directed John Millington Synge's ''Der Held der westlichen Welt'' (''The Playboy of the Western World''{{--)}}<ref name="Rorrison" /> with Heinz Schubert in the title role. He collaborated with Manfred Wekwerth for several plays.<ref name="Schumacher" />
[[File:Berlin_Berliner_Ensemble.jpg|thumb|Theater am Schiffbauerdamm of the Berliner Ensemble, with Palitzsch's logo on top]] After Brecht's death on 18 August 1956, Palitzsch also worked at other German theatres. He staged the world premiere of Brecht's ''Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui'' (''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui''{{--)}} at the Staatstheater Stuttgart in November 1958, with Wolfgang Kieling in the title role.<ref name="DDR" /><ref name="Rorrison" /> The play was shown in Berlin in 1959, with Ekkehard Schall in the title role, and in Paris and London in 1960, where <!--the Großer Preis der Pariser Theater- und Musikkritik.--> it marked Palitzsch's international recognition.<ref name="Worrall" /> In Paris, the production was awarded the Preis des Theaters der Nationen.<ref name="Lämmert" />
In 1960/61, Wekwerth and Palitzsch produced with the DEFA a film ''Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder'', starring Helene Weigel, Angelika Hurwicz, Regine Lutz, Ernst Busch, Wolf Kaiser, Ekkehard Schall and Heinz Schubert. The film received a special award (Prize of the Jury<ref name="Wekwerth" /> or ''Anerkennungspreis'') at the Locarno Film Festival in 1961.<ref name="Mutter Courage" />
Palitzsch was called to West Germany, as a representative of authentic productions of Brecht's plays. He staged ''Eduard II'' in Stuttgart, ''Mann ist Mann'' (''Man Equals Man''{{--)}} in Wuppertal, and ''Der Kaukasische Kreidekreis'' (''The Caucasian Chalk Circle''{{--)}} and ''Der gute Mensch von Sezuan'' (''The Good Person of Szechwan''{{--)}} in Ulm.<ref name="DDR" /> On 1 September 1961, shortly after the Berlin Wall, he directed there the West German premiere of Brecht's ''The Trial of Joan of Arc at Rouen, 1431'' (after {{ill|Der Prozess der Jeanne d’Arc zu Rouen 1431|de|lt=an audio play}} by Anna Seghers),<ref name="DDR" /> while other theatres refrained from playing Brecht's works, due to the political situation. After the first performance, Palitzsch announced via Intendant {{ill|Kurt Hübner|de|Kurt Hübner (Schauspieler)}} that he would not return to East Germany.<ref name="Rorrison" /><ref name="Spiegel 1961" />
In 1961, he directed ''Der kaukasische Kreidekreis'' in Oslo, with the young Liv Ullmann.<ref name="Rorrison" /> He staged Büchner's ''Dantons Tod'' (''Danton's Death''{{--)}} in Stuttgart in 1962, and Brecht's ''Mutter Courage'' in Cologne in 1964, with {{ill|Ursula von Reibnitz|de}} in the title role. In 1966, he directed there Brecht's ''Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti'' (''Mr Puntila and his Man Matti''{{--)}} with Hanns Ernst Jäger and Traugott Buhre in the title roles. His Stuttgart world premiere of Martin Walser's ''{{ill|Der schwarze Schwan|de|Der Schwarze Schwan (Martin Walser)}}'' was invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen.<ref name="DDR" /><ref name="Theatertreffen" />
From 1 January 1966, Palitzsch was manager of drama (''Schauspieldirektor''{{--)}} at the Staatstheater Stuttgart. His first production there of two works by Shakespeare combined as ''Rosenkriege I + II'' (''Henry VI'' and ''Eduard IV''{{--)}} was invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen in 1967.<ref name="DDR" /><ref name="Theatertreffen" /> He staged in 1968 Isaac Babel's ''Marija'', in 1969 the world premiere of Tankred Dorst ''{{ill|Toller (play)|de|Toller (Tankred Dorst)|lt=Toller}}'', and in 1970 ''Diese Geschichte von Ihnen'' (''This Story of Yours''{{--)}} by John Hopkins.<ref name="DDR" /><ref name="Nagel" /> All three productions were invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen.<ref name="Theatertreffen" /><ref name="Theatertreffen 1970" /> His regular set designer was {{ill|Wilfried Minks|de}}. In June 1972, he left Stuttgart with a production of Shakespeare's ''Hamlet''.<ref name="Friedrich" />
Palitzsch moved on to the Schauspiel Frankfurt, where he could realise theatre in codetermination (''Mitbestimmungstheater''{{--)}}.<ref name="DDR" /> He directed there Lessing's ''Emilia Galotti'' in 1972, Wedekind's ''Frühlings Erwachen'' (''Spring Awakening''{{--)}} in 1974,<ref name="Rorrison" /> again invited to the Berliner Theatertreffen, and Brecht's ''Die Tage der Commune'' in 1977.<ref name="SZ" /> He staged Ibsen's ''Baumeister Solneß'' (''The Master Builder''{{--)}} in 1978, and Schiller's ''Don Carlos'' in 1979.<ref name="SZ" /> Tensions within the leading team caused him to resign in 1980.<ref name="Spiegel 1980" /> During the following years, he worked freelance internationally, including Vienna where he staged at the Burgtheater, in Zürich, Rio de Janeiro and again Oslo.<ref name="DDR" /> After the German reunification, Palitzsch returned to Berlin in 1992, where he shared the management of the Berliner Ensemble with Peter Zadek, Fritz Marquardt, Matthias Langhoff and Heiner Müller until 1995.<ref name="DDR" /><ref name="Schumacher" /><ref name="Friedrich" />
[[File:Tombstone Peter Palitzsch.jpg|thumb|upright|Tomb on the Dorotheenstädtischer Friedhof]] Palitzsch was awarded the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on 6 September 2004, after having received the Theaterpreis Berlin in 1991.<ref name="DDR" /><ref name="SZ" /> He died in Havelberg on 18 December 2004.<ref name="DDR" /> <!-- == Theatre productions with Berliner Ensemble == {{unref|section}} * 1956: John Millington Synge: ''Der Held der westlichen Welt'' (''The Playboy of the Western World''{{--)}} – with Wekwerth * 1957: Brecht: ''Furcht und Elend des Dritten Reiches'' (''Fear and Misery of the Third Reich''{{--)}} – with {{ill|Lothar Bellag|de}} / Käthe Rülicke / {{ill|Konrad Swinarski|de}} / Carl M. Weber * 1959: Brecht: ''Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui'' (''The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui''{{--)}} – with Wekwerth * 1961: Helmut Baierl: ''Frau Flinz'' – with Wekwerth * 1994: Beckett: ''Endspiel'' (''Endgame''{{--)}}
== Films == {{unref|section}} * 1957: ''{{ill|Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti (film)|de|Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti (1957)|lt=Herr Puntila und sein Knecht Matti}}'' (studio recording) * 1971: ''{{ill|Sand (1971 film)|de|Sand (Tankred Dorst)|lt=Sand}}'' (scene: Tankred Dorst) * 1974: ''{{ill|Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui (film)|de|Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui (1974)|lt=Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui}}'' (theatre recording)-->
== Palitzsch's works at the Berliner Theatertreffen == Several production directed by Palitzsch were invited to the Berliner Thatertreffen festival, including:<ref name="Theatertreffen" /><ref name="Theatertreffen 1970" /> * Martin Walser: ''{{ill|Der schwarze Schwan|de|Der Schwarze Schwan (Martin Walser)}}'' (''The Black Swan'', Staatstheater Stuttgart, 1965) * William Shakespeare: ''Henry VI'' (Stuttgart, 1967) * William Shakespeare: ''Edward IV'' (Stuttgart, 1967) * Isaak Babel: ''Marija'' (Stuttgart, 1968) * Tankred Dorst: ''{{ill|Toller (play)|de|Toller (Tankred Dorst)|lt=Toller}}'' (Stuttgart, 1969) * John Hopkins: ''Diese Geschichte von Ihnen'' (''This Story of Yours'', Stuttgart, 1970) * Samuel Beckett: ''Warten auf Godot'' (''Waiting for Godot'', Stuttgart, 1972) * Frank Wedekind: ''Frühlings Erwachen'' (''Spring Awakening'', Städtische Bühnen Frankfurt, 1974)
== Literature == * Rainer Mennicken: ''Peter Palitzsch''. Fischer Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1993, in: Regie im Theater, {{ISBN|3-596-11114-5}} * Peter Iden: ''Peter Palitzsch – Theater muss die Welt verändern''. Henschel Verlag, Berlin 2005, {{ISBN|3-89487-511-9}} * {{ill|Christoph Nix|de}}: ''Immer scheitern, besser scheitern. Zum 80. Geburtstag von Peter Palitzsch'', in: ''Die Tageszeitung'', 11 September 1998 * {{ill|Wolfgang Bittner|de}}, Mark vom Hofe: ''Der Vorhang geht nicht auf, damit sich Leute unterhalten. Peter Palitzsch'', in: ''Ich mische mich ein. Markante deutsche Lebensläufe'', Bad Honnef 2006, {{ISBN|978-3-89502-222-7}}
== References == <references>
<ref name="Friedrich">{{cite news | last = Friedrich | first = Detlef | url = http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/der-regisseur-peter-palitzsch-wird-heute-85-jahre-alt-brechts-junger-mann,10810590,10114852.html | title = Brechts junger Mann. Der Regisseur Peter Palitzsch wird heute 85 Jahre alt | newspaper = Berliner Zeitung | date = 11 September 2003 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Lämmert">{{cite book | editor-last = Lämmert | editor-first = Eberhart | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=pTtbDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA223 | title = Die erzählerische Dimension: Studien über eine Gemeinsamkeit der Künste | publisher = Walter de Gruyter | year = 2014 | isbn = 978-3-05-007541-9 | pages = 223 | language = de }}</ref>
<ref name="Nagel">{{cite news | last = Nagel | first = Ivan | authorlink = Ivan Nagel | url = https://www.zeit.de/2004/53/Peter_Palitzsch/komplettansicht | title = Peter Palitzsch | newspaper = Die Zeit | date = 22 December 2004 | number = 53 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Rorrison">{{cite news | last = Rorrison | first = Hugh | url = https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/dec/28/guardianobituaries.germany | title = Peter Palitzsch / Fearless theatre director in East and West Germany, whose productions of Brecht and Shakespeare were critical and popular successes | newspaper = The Guardian | date = 28 December 2004 | number = 53 | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Schumacher">{{cite news | last = Schumacher | first = Ernst | url = http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/archiv/millimeterweise-die-welt-veraendern--zum-tod-des-regisseurs-peter-palitzsch-ohne-dialektik-werdet-ihr-meine-stuecke-nicht-kapieren,10810590,10241784.html | title = Ohne Dialektik werdet ihr meine Stücke nicht kapieren | newspaper = Berliner Zeitung | date = 20 December 2004 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Suschke">{{cite web | last = Suschke | first = Stephan | url = http://www.stephansuschke.de/texte/palitsch.pdf | title = "Ich hielt mich nie für ein Genie" / Regisseur Peter Palitzsch im Gespräch mit Stephan Suschke | website = stephansuschke.de | date = | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Wekwerth">{{cite web | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20090927230332/http://manfredwekwerth.de/biographisches.html | url = http://manfredwekwerth.de/biographisches.html | archivedate = 27 September 2009 | website = manfredwekth.de | accessdate = 7 October 2019 | title = Manfred Wekwerth }}</ref>
<ref name="Worrall">{{cite book | editor-last = Worrall | editor-first = Non | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=V-EzDQAAQBAJ&pg=PT45 | title = The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui / Student Editions | publisher = Bloomsbury Publishing | year = 2016 | isbn = 978-1-47-253821-5 | pages = 45–49 }}</ref>
<ref name="DDR">{{cite web | url = https://www.bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de/wer-war-wer-in-der-ddr-%2363;-1424.html?ID=2593 | title = Palitzsch, Peter | website = bundesstiftung-aufarbeitung.de | year = 2009 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Mutter Courage">{{cite web | url = https://www.defa-stiftung.de/filme/filmsuche/mutter-courage-und-ihre-kinder/ | title = Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder | website = defa-stiftung.de | date = 10 February 1961 | publisher = DEFA Foundation | language = de | accessdate = 7 October 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Spiegel 1961">{{cite news | url = http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-43366360.html | title = Prozeß in Ulm | newspaper = Der Spiegel | date = 11 September 1961 | issue = 38 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Spiegel 1980">{{cite news | url = http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-14316110.html | title = Kraft nach innen | newspaper = Der Spiegel | date = 11 September 1980 | issue = 30 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="SZ">{{cite news | url = http://www.sueddeutsche.de/kultur/peter-palitzsch-ist-tot-der-rebell-in-der-chefetage-1.893709 | title = Der Rebell in der Chefetage | newspaper = Süddeutsche Zeitung | date = 19 December 2004 | language = de | accessdate = 11 September 2019 }}</ref>
<ref name="Theatertreffen">{{cite web | url = http://archiv2.berlinerfestspiele.de/de_1/archiv/festivals2011/03theatertreffen11/tt11_chronik/tt11_60er/tt11_1964-1969.php | title = 1964–1969 | website = archiv2.berlinerfestspiele.de | year = | language = de | accessdate = 7 October 2019 | archive-date = 7 October 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191007172514/http://archiv2.berlinerfestspiele.de/de_1/archiv/festivals2011/03theatertreffen11/tt11_chronik/tt11_60er/tt11_1964-1969.php | url-status = dead }}</ref>
<ref name="Theatertreffen 1970">{{cite web | url = http://archiv2.berlinerfestspiele.de/de/archiv/festivals2011/03theatertreffen11/tt11_chronik/tt11_70er/tt11_1970-1979.php | title = 1970–1979 | website = archiv2.berlinerfestspiele.de | year = | language = de | accessdate = 7 October 2019 | archive-date = 7 October 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191007173617/http://archiv2.berlinerfestspiele.de/de/archiv/festivals2011/03theatertreffen11/tt11_chronik/tt11_70er/tt11_1970-1979.php | url-status = dead }}</ref>
</references>
== External links == {{Commonscat}} * {{DNB portal|119082268}} * [https://archiv.adk.de/bigobjekt/22464 Peter-Palitzsch-Archiv] Academy of Arts, Berlin
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Palitzsch, Peter}} Category:German theatre directors Category:Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Category:1918 births Category:2004 deaths