Bertolt Brecht polarizes like few other classics of German literature, both before and after him. Social criticism and literary virtuosity are inseparable in his work, which invites constant rediscovery. Klaus-Detlef Müller dedicates his workbook to Brecht's work and life, providing a synthesis of several decades of Brecht research. He presents Brecht as one of the most important renewers of theater, as an artistic lyricist and engaged intellectual who was always a step ahead of his time. The workbook thus offers a text-oriented and critical reassessment of a canonical author of classical modernity, who could not be more relevant today. Klaus-Detlef Müller, an excellent Brecht expert and co-editor of the major annotated Frankfurt and Berlin editions, has written an introduction to the complete works.