Der zerbrochne Krug

In the organizer's words:

The Broken Jug

by Heinrich von Kleist (1808)

The premiere of Heinrich von Kleist's comedy Der zerbrochne Krug, which took place under the direction of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at the court theater in Weimar in 1808, was a failure; the play only conquered the stages from 1820 onwards.
Der zerbrochne Krug is a comedy about the village judge Adam, who is forced to sit in judgment over his own misdeeds. The play thrives on its fast-paced dialog and plump characters, above all the village magistrate himself. Only Kleist's humor and wit prevent the comedy from becoming a tragedy, as the play is ultimately about trust and the abuse of trust. Der Krug is a masterpiece of comedy and is one of the most frequently performed plays on German-speaking stages.