Which German playwright created Lulu, the central character later seen in Pandora’s Box?

Frank Wedekind created Lulu, the central character later seen in Pandora’s Box.

Wedekind was a German playwright whose Lulu dramas include Erdgeist, first performed in 1898, and Die Büchse der Pandora, first performed in 1904. Together they form the dramatic source for G. W. Pabst’s 1929 film Pandora’s Box, in which Louise Brooks plays Lulu.

Wedekind’s Lulu is not a direct version of the ancient Greek Pandora. The connection lies in the title and in the themes of desire, social disorder, and destructive consequences. Pabst’s film combines material from the two plays and reshapes it for silent cinema.

Wedekind’s works challenged conventional morality and theatrical expectations, which contributed to controversy around some productions. His influence also extends beyond Lulu: his play Frühlings Erwachen, or Spring Awakening, became another important work in modern German theatre and later inspired musical adaptations.