Literatur und Krieg

Sechs Phasen einer intensiven Beziehung. Ein Essay

By (author) Matthias Schöning

Book cover: Literatur und Krieg

Extent: 156 pages

Publisher: V&R unipress

Subjects: German Studies

Series: Literatur- und Mediengeschichte der Moderne

Series volume number: 13

Language: German

Hardback (Published)

(March 2026)

ISBN: 9783847119487

6.3 x 9.33 inches

Price: $57.00

In stock


Krieg gehort seit Jahrhunderten zu den grossen Themen der Literatur.
Ausserordentliche Ereignisse erzeugen grossen Sinnbedarf. Intellektuelle
mischen sich daher von Beginn an ein. Aufschlussreich ist in jedem Fall
der Zeitpunkt der literarischen Stellungnahmen zum Geschehen: im
Vorfeld, bei Kriegsbeginn, wenn nach einiger Zeit noch immer kein Ende
abzusehen ist, am Kriegsende, zehn Jahre danach und im Ruckblick der
Generationen. Jeder Zeitpunkt hat seine eigenen Muster, um den Krieg
mittels Literatur zum Thema zu machen.

War has been one of the great themes of literature for centuries. Extraordinary events generate a great need for meaning. Intellectuals therefore get involved right from the start. First, they take a vocal stance, then they meekly differentiate. At times, people are fed up with the subject but afterwards comes the time for novels that take stock with a broader perspective. Some statements are caught in the spell of the moment while others go down in history. In each case, the timing of the literary statements about the events is revealing: in the run-up, at the beginning of the war, after some time when there is still no end in sight, at the end of the war, ten years later and in retrospect over the generations. Each point in time has its own pattern for making the war the subject of literature.

  • By (author) Matthias Schöning