Friedrich Dürrenmatt (January 5, 1921 - December 14, 1990) was a Swiss author and dramatist.

He was born in Konolfingen near Bern. The politically active author gained fame largely due to his avant-garde dramas, philosophically deep crime novels, and often macabre satire.

The Visit (Der Besuch der alten Dame, 1956) which tells of a rich benefactor visiting her beneficiaries, is the work best known in the United States. The Physicists (Die Physiker, 1962) has also been presented in translation.

He died in Neuchâtel.

Selected Bibliography