Birth name
Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht appears in German biographical authorities; he wrote and was billed as Bertolt Brecht (sometimes Bertolt/Bert Brecht), shortening and respelling Berthold (Deutsche Biographie / DDB; standard literary refs). Brecht is his family surname.
Epic theatre and major works
Brecht developed epic theatre and the Verfremdungseffekt (alienation effect). With Kurt Weill he created Die Dreigroschenoper (The Threepenny Opera, 1928). Other landmarks include Mother Courage and Her Children, The Good Person of Szechwan, Life of Galileo, and The Caucasian Chalk Circle. After exile during the Nazi era he returned to East Berlin and founded the Berliner Ensemble with Helene Weigel (DDB).
He died in 1956. His plays remain central to twentieth-century world drama curricula.
The Threepenny Opera text/score editions Mother Courage and Her Children Brecht on Theatre / collected plays
Why the "real name" question matters
Search interest in a celebrity's "real name" usually means a shortened everyday form, a middle name used as a handle, or a true stage/legal change. This page states which case applies and cites sources rather than gossip.
Readers comparing credits across IMDb, Wikipedia, and national filmographies sometimes find spelling variants (accents, hyphenation, maternal surnames). Where two reliable sources disagree on a middle name or exact birthplace wording, this draft notes both rather than inventing a single form.
