Work · Jean-Paul Sartre
The Condemned of Altona
Frantz, a former German officer confined in his family home, imagines a future tribunal while relatives negotiate silence about the past.
Understanding the text
Staged in 1959 and published in 1960, the play examines war, torture, capitalism and responsibility.
Key points
- 01
Confinement
Physical isolation protects the story the family wants to preserve.
- 02
Tribunal
Future generations become imaginary judges of what the present avoids.
- 03
Complicity
Individual violence connects with family interests and an economic order.
How to read it
Distinguish successive revelations from Frantz's justifications; his narrative is not transparent testimony.
Editions & sources
Summaries and key points are original editorial interpretations. They accompany reading the work and do not replace an edition of the text. Editorial method ↗