Friedrich Dürrenmatt Biography: Religion, Parents, Height, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Obituary, Wife, Children
Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a masterful Swiss playwright, novelist, and essayist whose dark, ironic tragedies—including The Visit and The Physicists—revolutionized post-war theatre with a blend of grotesque comedy, moral questioning, and warnings about justice, science, and power.
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| Name: | Friedrich Josef Dürrenmatt |
| Born: | January 5, 1921 |
| Died: | December 14, 1990 (age 69 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Konolfingen, Bern, Switzerland |
| Nationality: | Swiss |
| Height: | 182 cm |
| Religion: | Raised Protestant (son of a pastor); later agnostic/humanist |
| Parents: | Reinhold Dürrenmatt and Hulda Zimmermann |
| Siblings: | Verena Dürrenmatt |
| Spouse: | Lotti Geissler (M. 1946–1983), |
| Relationship: | Married |
| Children: | Five |
| Occupation: | Playwright, Novelist, Essayist, Painter |
| Net Worth: | $20 million to $40 million |
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Early Life And Education
Friedrich Dürrenmatt was born on January 5, 1921, in Konolfingen, Switzerland. His parents, Reinhold Dürrenmatt, a Protestant pastor, and Hulda Zimmermann, raised him in the Emmental region before the family moved to Bern in 1935.
He had one younger sister, Verena. His ethnicity was Swiss-German. Rebellious and artistic from a young age, he studied philosophy, literature, and art at the universities of Zurich and Bern (1941–1946), but left without a degree to pursue writing and painting full-time.
Career
Dürrenmatt’s breakthrough came with the tragicomedy The Visit (1956), followed by The Physicists (1962) — both global theatre staples. Other major works include Romulus the Great (1950), The Judge and His Hangman (1952), and The Pledge (1958).
He directed his own plays, briefly ran the Basel Theatre, and wrote influential essays like “Theatre Problems” (1955). His grotesque, parable-like style made him, alongside Max Frisch, the most important German-language playwright after Brecht.
Social Media
- Instagram: @duerrenmatt_zentrum
- Facebook: Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Personal Life
Dürrenmatt married actress Lotti Geissler in 1946; they had five children and lived in Neuchâtel from 1952 onward. After Lotti died in 1983, he married German actress and filmmaker Charlotte Kerr in 1984.
A passionate painter and gourmet, he converted an old house into his studio-home overlooking Lake Neuchâtel. He suffered multiple strokes in his final years and died of heart failure on December 14, 1990. His height was 182 centimetres.
Net Worth
Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s estate — fueled by perpetual theatre royalties, book sales, film adaptations, and his paintings is estimated at $20 million to $40 million.
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