The King and I The King and I The King and I is the fifth musical by the team of composer Richard Rodgers and dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II. It is based on Margaret Landon's novel, "Anna and the King of Siam" (1944), which is in turn derived from the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, governess to the children of King Mongkut of Siam in the early 1860s. The musical's plot relates the experiences of Anna, a British schoolteacher hired as part of the King's drive to modernize his country. The relationship between the King and Anna is marked by conflict through much of the piece,
Anna Leibbrand and Anna Schlotterbeck were released from prison early in 1956, however. Release was followed by the usual unpublicised rehabilitation and quiet readmission into the ruling SED (party). The punishment was deleted from the official record in 1957. Friedrich and Anna Schlotterbeck settled in Groß Glienicke near Potsdam, supporting themselves by writing books and radio plays. They wrote several radio plays together including "Die Memoiren der Frau Viktoria" (1962), and became close friends with fellow writers and Christa Wolf. In 1968 Anna Schlotterbeck prepared a manuscript entitled ""Hohenschönhausen, Zelle 51"", which dealt with her experiences of state detention in East Germany,