In 1952, hannah arendt hailed Bertolt Brecht as "Beyond a doubt the greatest living German poet and possibly the greatest living European playwright." His plays, widely taught and studied, are searing critiques of civili...In 1952, hannah arendt hailed Bertolt Brecht as "Beyond a doubt the greatest living German poet and possibly the greatest living European playwright." His plays, widely taught and studied, are searing critiques of civilizations run amok.during the thirties, the subversive nature of his work sent brecht from Germany to scandinavia and later to the United States.