Caspar Neher

Who was Caspar Neher?

Caspar Neher was an Austrian-German scenographer and librettist, known principally for his career-long working relationship with Bertolt Brecht.

Neher was born in Augsburg. He and Brecht were school friends who were separated for a time by the first world war, during which Neher was awarded the Iron Cross, Second Class. In 1919 he studied under Angelo Jank at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich. He was first engaged professionally by the Munich Kammerspiele in 1922, although his designs for its production of Brecht's Drums in the Night were rejected. On 18 August 1923 Neher married Erika Tornquist in Graz. Their son, Georg, was born on 14 October 1924. In autumn 1926, Neher became the staff designer at the Berlin Staatstheater. A year later, he became head of design at the Grillo-Theater in Essen, Germany, where he designed 8 operas and 11 plays. He died in Vienna.