In Frank Wedekind's play associated with the 1929 film Pandora's Box, what is the German title of Pandora's Box?
Answer
Die Büchse der Pandora
In Frank Wedekind’s play associated with the 1929 film Pandora’s Box, the German title is Die Büchse der Pandora.
Die Büchse der Pandora is the second of Frank Wedekind’s two Lulu plays. The first is Erdgeist, usually translated as Earth Spirit. Together, the plays follow Lulu, a figure whose relationships and social transgressions generate escalating tragedy.
G. W. Pabst’s 1929 film Pandora’s Box draws on both plays. The German title literally refers to Pandora’s box, linking Wedekind’s drama to the ancient myth while presenting a distinctly modern story. The film is not a direct adaptation of Hesiod’s Works and Days.
The title is often encountered in English translation, so readers may see “Pandora’s Box” rather than the original German. Retaining the German title is useful when distinguishing the play from the many films, books, albums, and games that use the same English phrase.