Die Figur der Brünhild im deutschsprachigen Theater der Gegenwart

Brünhild is one of the central characters of the Nibelungen tradition. Modern and contemporary authors take up this literary figure of the Middle Ages in the context of a productive reception of the tradition in its various forms, develop it further, reshape it and place it in new contexts. The creative transformation of this figure in contemporary theatre is particularly interesting, with references not only to the medieval literary tradition, but also to the complex history of its reception. The examples discussed in this study show some of the ways in which contemporary playwrights innovatively deal with the traditional character of Brünhild and its transformation in a long reception process, stretching from the Middle Ages to the present day.