German literature

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FrankfurterBuchmesse2008

Frenzel

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Thomas Mann 1929

Hermann Hesse 1927 Photo Gret Widmann

German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. This includes literature from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and those areas that were once part of the Holy Roman Empire or its successor states. German literature has a rich history, stretching from the Middle Ages to the present day, and includes works of poetry, drama, and prose.

History

The history of German literature can be divided into several distinct periods, each reflecting the social, political, and cultural changes of its time.

Middle Ages

The earliest German literature dates back to the Middle Ages, with the most notable work being the Nibelungenlied, an epic poem that tells the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried and his wife Kriemhild. This period also saw the emergence of Minnesang, the German tradition of lyric and song writing, exemplified by poets such as Walther von der Vogelweide.

16th to 18th Centuries

The Reformation in the 16th century, led by figures like Martin Luther, had a profound impact on German literature, with the translation of the Bible into German making literature more accessible to the general populace. The Baroque period followed, characterized by works that dealt with themes of transience and vanity, with notable authors including Andreas Gryphius and Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen, the latter known for his picaresque novel Simplicius Simplicissimus.

19th Century

The 19th century is often regarded as the golden age of German literature, marked by the Romanticism movement, with key figures such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, whose works Faust and The Sorrows of Young Werther are considered masterpieces, and Friedrich Schiller, known for his plays and poems. This period also saw the rise of the Biedermeier and Vormärz periods, leading up to the revolutionary year of 1848.

20th Century to Present

The 20th century was a tumultuous period for German literature, with the two World Wars and the division of Germany influencing many writers. The Weimar Republic era produced notable works of literature that dealt with the disillusionment and societal changes post-World War I. Post-World War II literature was marked by the division between East and West Germany, with authors from the East dealing with themes of socialism and censorship, while those from the West often explored existentialism and the rebuilding of German identity. Contemporary German literature continues to be diverse, with authors like Günter Grass and Herta Müller (who won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2009) contributing to its rich tradition.

Themes and Characteristics

German literature is characterized by its diversity of themes and styles, reflecting the complex history and cultural shifts within the German-speaking world. Themes of love, nature, and individualism found in Romantic literature, social criticism and exploration of the human psyche in Modernist works, and the grappling with Germany's past and identity in post-war literature are prevalent.

Influence

German literature has had a significant influence on the literary world, with German philosophers and writers contributing to the development of literary theory, criticism, and various literary movements. The works of German authors have been translated into numerous languages, spreading their ideas and themes globally.