Aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui

Bertolt Brecht wrote The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui in 1941 while in exile in Finland, conceiving it as a satirical allegory of the rise of Adolf Hitler. By transposing the historical events of the Third Reich into the setting of a Chicago gangland power struggle, Brecht aimed to demystify the mechanisms of fascism and expose the complicity of the business class. The play serves as a quintessential example of his epic theatre, designed to provoke critical distance rather than emotional identification.

The 1972 edition published by Arcade Publishing reflects the enduring relevance of Brecht's critique in the post-war era. As the text migrated into international curricula, publishers sought to capture the grit of the play's cabaret-inspired structure through stark, utilitarian design choices. These editions remain significant for maintaining the integrity of Brecht's didactic intent, ensuring that the warning against totalitarianism remains accessible to modern audiences and scholars alike.