About the work
Bertolt Brecht's epic theatre play from 1948, a parable about justice and true maternal love, after an old Chinese fable.
Plot
After a coup, the governor's son Michael is abandoned by his fleeing mother. The maid Grusha rescues the child and raises it at great sacrifice. When the biological mother demands the child back after the war, the wise judge Azdak decides by means of the chalk-circle test: whoever truly loves the child will let go rather than tear it apart.
Cultural significance
The play formulates Brecht's central thesis that property should belong to whoever uses it best. It is one of the most-performed dramas of the 20th century and a prime example of epic theatre.