Bruderzwist, oder, Die Versöhnung

("Brotherly strife, or The reconciliation") A German play in five acts ("Ein Schauspiel in Funf Akten") by August von Kotzebue (1761 – 1819). Also known simply as Die Versöhnung ("The Reconciliation"), though better known under the longer title. There appear to be two plays called Die Versöhnung in German, this one by August von Kotzebue (1798) and another by Andreas Josef von Guttenberg (1800), both apparently written in Vienna at approximately the same time, though they are clearly different plays.

Both were performed in South Africa.

Bruderzwist, oder, Die Versöhnung has been translated into many languages.

The original text

First produced in German at the Nationaltheater, Mannheim on 28 March, 1797 and published in Leipzig as Die Versöhnung in 1798. Published as Bruderzwist, oder, Die Versöhnung in Vienna, 1804.

Text of 1804 German edition, Google Books[1]

Translations and adaptations

Like all his works, this play has been translated and adapted into and performed in many languages.

Dutch

Translated into Dutch by an anonymous translator as De Verzoening, of De Broedertwist and published by Jan Dóll, Amsterdam, 1798. Followed by two other Dutch translations, one by W.A. Iffland, 1799 and one by Dirk Onderwater, published in Den Haag at the same time. All with the same title.

English

Translated into English as The Birthday and performed in Bath in 1799.

Translated as Fraternal Discord by A.W. Dunlap, and performed in New York in 1800, published in New York in 1809.

French

Translated into French and adapted for the stage as La Réconciliation; ou, Les Deux Frères by Mathias Weiss, Louis François Jauffret and J. Patrat in 1799. Performed as Les Deux Frères at the Theatre de la Republique, in 1802.

Performance history in South Africa

1809: Performed in French under the title Les Deux Frères, ou La Réconciliation by Charles Etienne Boniface and local French players in the African Theatre Cape Town on 4 February, 1809. (The text used was most probably the 1799 translation by Weiss, Jauffret and Patrat.) Followed by Le Petit Matelot, ou Le Mariage Impromptu (Le Brun).

1829: Performed in Dutch under the title De Verzoening by Tot Nut en Vermaak in the African Theatre Cape Town on 18 October 1828, with 't Zal laat Worden (Meijer).

Sources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/August_von_Kotzebue\

"August von Kotzebue" in Stanley Hochman (1984) McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of World Drama: An International Reference Work in 5 Volumes, Volume 1:p. 181[2]

Heinrich Döring August von Kotzebue's Leben, 1830: p.408[3]

Text of Les deux frères, comédie en quatre actes, Google Books[4]

The Internet Archive[5]

Text of La réconciliation; ou, Les deux frères, Google Books[6]

Text of 1804 German edition of Bruderzwist, oder, Die Versöhnung, Google Books[7]

Text of Fraternal Discord, Google Books[8]

F.C.L. Bosman, 1928:pp.125, 242

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