L' ABICI DELLA GUERRA | 1972 | BERTOLT BRECHT

L’abicì della guerra is a work by Bertolt Brecht combining photographic collages (images clipped from newspapers and magazines) with epigrammatic poetry, to document and critique the horrors of war. The material spans from Germany’s rearmament through to the fall of Nazism, arranged thematically and chronologically. Brecht (with collaboration, especially that of Ruth Berlau) developed this “war primer” ( Kriegsfibel) in exile, using visual and textual fragments to provoke reflection rather than sentimental reaction. The juxtaposition of stark images and Brecht’s terse poetic commentary exposes both the banality and the brutality of war, urging the reader to interpret, question, and not merely observe. It remains a significant example of political poetry, visual-literary experimentation, and anti-war testimony.