Resumen de Karl von appen. Vida docente y teatral 1945-1954

Montserrat Navalpotro González

• Karl von Appen. Teaching and theater career 1945 - 1954 Karl von Appen was an internationally known german stage designer. His international renown is due to his work in the company Berliner Ensemble, which was founded and directed by Bertolt Brecht until 1956.

  Appen arrived at this company just three years before the death of the famous director. He had previously worked in Dresden, where he had settled down just before Adolf Hitler takeover. Appen fought against his regime. Therefore was deported to a concentration camp from where he was released in 1945.

  After returning to the city of the Elba, Appen continued his work in the Provisional Theatre in Dresden as stage designer. In 1947 he was appointed acting theater manager by the local authority and became so a full-time dedication. His second employment should actually take only a few months, but became a couple of years. He stayed until the end of 1949 in this position.

  During this period I had the opportunity to reopen in 1948 the demolished National Theater in Dresden. In 1949 he began teaching Stage design at the High School of Industrial Art, later College of plastic Arts.

  His work as a stage designer in Dresden was mainly dedicated to the design of operas. He built up a extraordinary team with the stage manager Heinz Arnold and the Orchestra director Joseph Keilberth. Both left East Germany to settle down in West Germany. He also created many theater designs. While living in Dresden Appen collaborated with Brecht in the design of two works which are included in this thesis.

  Because of all, an approach to Karl von Appen can not just be constricted as a person and his stage works. It should be considered as well the theater in the GDR,-Dresden in particular- and his teaching career in the main Schools Art of the city. As well has to be kept in mind the situation in the period of time after the Second War.