Emil Orlik
Franz Moor’s Room in Schiller’s “The Robbers”
1908
Gouache
Theater Studies Collection of the University of Cologne
In 1908, Emil Orlik (1870–1932) was commissioned by director Max Reinhardt (1873–1943) to design the sets for his new production of Friedrich Schiller’s (1759–1805) drama “The Robbers” at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. Paul Wegener (1874–1948) took on the role of the jealous Franz.
It is likely that Käthe Kollwitz saw this production on stage. On the one hand, she held her colleague Orlik in high regard, and on the other, she had also performed the play with paper theater puppets together with her sister Lisbeth in her childhood. In addition, her brother Conrad had published a positive review of this production.