Grade 12 students bring Dürrenmatt's "The Physicists" to life

by the S.Y. 2025-26 Grade 12 German B students

"What has once been thought cannot be taken back."

– “The Physicists” (1961), Friedrich Dürrenmatt

As part of our German lessons, we read “The Physicists” by Friedrich Dürrenmatt. The play deals with the dangers that come with knowledge and scientific research. In class, we learned about the responsibilities of scientists and the moral obligations that accompany them.

To conclude our study of “The Physicists”, our class was divided into two groups. Each group created its own short play: one group extended the original ending, while the other wrote a completely new one.

As students of the German B course, we connected our work to various IB themes and concepts such as “Identity” and “Human Ingenuity.” This helped us illustrate these ideas in an enjoyable and creative way. Linking literature to global issues not only prepares us for our Individual Orals (IOs) but also encourages us to critically reflect on current global conflicts.

All students brought costumes and props to make their performances more believable and authentic. In the end, we presented our plays live on stage in the auditorium.