Literature

German’s golden age of literature was dominated by famous writers such as “Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) and Friedrich Schiller (1795 – 1805).” (Berstein, 2004) Goethe and Schiller had blossomed literature in Germany, and their works are still being read by students in school. Goethe still also recognised as Germany’s national poet till today. Institutions and international German Language schools are named after him as well – Goethe-Institutes.

Schiller, on the other hand is recognised as the “second master of German literary classicism.” (Berstein, 2004) He wrote the poem, “Ode to Joy”, which is used by Beethoven into creating his symphony.

After WWII, Germany was divided into East and West Germany. While West Germany had the freedom to write about whatever they wanted, the writers of East Germany had to conform to a set of rules.

For instance, “literature had to show unequivocal commitment to the Communist Party, had to present typical characters, and had to be easily understood.” It also has to place emphasis on “modern, experimental narrative techniques” The Communist Writers’ Union excluded writers who did not follow the rules.

Writers did not have the freedom to express their true feelings, and sacrificed their chances into becoming renowned writers. It also shaped the content of East Germany’s literature works to being a procommunist.

West Germany’s literature works were mostly works that described a war-torn country, and also a country hoping for a new beginning. One of the famous writers was Wolfgang Borchert, whom wrote “The Man Outside”. This drama talks about Borchert being a reluctant German soldier, and his life after the war. It described his situation as “The Man Outside” as he no longer has control of his life due to the war. Shortly after his composition, he passed away at the age of 27 due to a liver ailment.

Recent literature works shown a trend about Germany’s past and Hitler’s power. This can be seen from the movies aired not too long ago – Downfall in 2004 and The Reader in 2008. The movie Downfall was directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, who was born in Hamburg in 1957. The Reader was novel written by Gerhard Schlink, a German, of which, is made into a Hollywood movie. Both movies featured how Hitler had influenced their way of lives.

Bibliography:

Berstein, E. (2004). Literature. In E. Berstein, Culture and Customs of Germany (pp. 98-115). Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc.