Richard Billinger's peasant background is reflected in the settings and themes of his best plays, which conjure up the powerful elemental forces that he saw as still present in peasant life. These forces are revealed in Christian images and pagan myths and can be both life-giving and savagely destructive. The Nazis, possibly influenced by the saccharine film versions of his plays, promoted him as a Blut und Boden (blood and soil) writer. Although this designation misrepresented his work, he accepted the commissions and honors it brought; and after World War II he had to endure the suspicion his reputation caused.

Billinger was born on 20 July 1890 to Alois and Maria Billinger (née Pucher), farmers who also ran a small shop in the little town of Sankt Marienkirchen bei Schärding in Upper Austria. Originally intended for the priesthood, he was moved to a state high school...