The Investigation (play)

The Investigation: Oratorio in 11 Cantos
The Investigation at Staatstheater Nürnberg (2009). Photo by Marion Bührle
Written by	Peter Weiss
Characters	Judge Prosecuting Attorney Counsel for the Defense Witnesses, numbered 1–9 Adjutant Mulka Boger Dr. Capesius Dr. Frank Dr. Schatz Dr. Lucas Kaduk Hofmann Medical Orderly Klehr Scherpe Hantl SS Corporal Stark Baretzki Schlage Bischoff Broad Breitwieser Bednarek
Date premiered	October 19, 1965 (1965-10-19)
Place premiered	Simultaneously at 15 theatres (full-scale theatre productions: West Berlin, Cologne, Essen, Munich, Rostock, play readings: East Berlin, Cottbus, Dresden, Gera, Leuna, London, Meiningen, Neustrelitz, Potsdam and Weimar)
Original language	German
Subject	Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials (1963–65)
Setting	Courtroom

The Investigation (1965) is a play by German playwright Peter Weiss that depicts the Frankfurt Auschwitz Trials of 1963–1965. It carries the subtitle "Oratorio in 11 Cantos". Weiss was an observer at the trials and developed the play partially from the reports of Bernd Naumann. The work premiered on October 19, 1965 on stages in fourteen West and East German cities and at the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. In 1966 the production was presented at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm which featured sets and costumes designed by Weiss's wife, Gunilla Palmstierna-Weiss, and was directed by Ingmar Bergman.^[1]