Friedrich Dürrenmatt

Friedrich Dürrenmatt (January 5, 1921 – December 14, 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist.

Friedrich Dürrenmatt in 1989

Quotes

• A story is not finished, until it has taken the worst turn.
  • In Elyse Sommer, CurtainUp Reviews, Williamstown Theatre Festival (Summer 2007)

• Who sows fear, reaps weapons.
  • About Tolerance (1977)

• We do not consider patriotism desirable if it contradicts civilized behavior.
  • Romulus the Great, act I (1956)

• Ein Widerstand um jeden Preis ist das Sinnloseste, was es geben kann.
  • Resistance at all cost is the most senseless act there is.
  • Romulus the Great, act III (1956)

• Rea: My country, above all.
  Romulus: You see, you've been reading too many tragedies lately.
  Rea: But shouldn't one love one's country more than anything else in the world?
  Romulus: No, one should never love it as one loves other human beings. In fact, the most important thing is to mistrust one's country. No one turns killer more easily than one's country.
  • Romulus the Great, act III (1956)

• Romulus: It is much more difficult to be loyal to a human being than to remain loyal to a state.
  Rea: It's my country, not just a state.
  Romulus: Every state calls itself "country" or "nation" when it is about to commit murder.
  Rea: Our uncoditional love for our country was what made Rome great.
  Romulus: But it did not make Rome good. We nurtured a beast with our virtues. We became drunk on the greatness of our country, but what we loved has now turned into gall and wormwood.
  • Romulus the Great, act III (1956)

• That there is also freedom in captivity, only a prisoner can claim. Coming from a prison guard, this statement would be blasphemy.
  • About Tolerance (1977)

• A major power can afford a military debacle only when it looks like a political victory.
  • Portrait of a Planet (1971)

• The only remedy against hunger is reasonable birth control.
  • Portrait of a Planet (1971)

External links

• Friedrich Dürrenmatt home page sponsored by the University of Chicago Press. Includes a 1969 interview with Dürrenmatt, his story "Smithy" and essay "Automobile and Railroad Nations," and essays on Dürrenmatt.
• Centre Dürrenmatt Neuchâtel
• National Library Switzerland