Friedrich Dürrenmatt was a Swiss author and dramatist, known for his significant contribution to epic theatre. His plays often reflected the experiences of World War II and encompassed avant-garde dramas, philosophical crime novels, and macabre satire. Dürrenmatt was politically active and a member of the Gruppe Olten, a group of left-wing Swiss writers who regularly met in Olten.

Dürrenmatt was born in the Emmental, canton of Bern, and was the son of a Protestant pastor. His grandfather, Ulrich Dürrenmatt, was a conservative politician. In 1935, his family moved to Bern. Dürrenmatt began studying philosophy and German language and literature at the University of Zurich in 1941, but transferred to the University of Bern after one semester. By 1943, he decided to pursue a career as an author and dramatist, abandoning his academic studies.

In 1945-46, he wrote his first play, It is Written. On October 11, 1946, he married actress Lotti Geissler, who passed away in 1983. Dürrenmatt remarried in 1984 to actress Charlotte Kerr. His body of work and distinctive style continue to be influential in the fields of literature and theatre.