Germany Loving

  Germany experienced an intense literary revival during the 1930s. Both Thomas Mann's psychodramatic novel Buddenbrooks and Hermann Hesse's introspective work Der Steppenwolf explore individuals' search for identity and spirituality. Gunter Grass and Christa Wolf's literary works explore the lessons of history; while their 19th-century fairy tale collection by Grimm remains highly influential today. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Goethe was one of Germany's most beloved writers and composed an immense body of works, from poems and ballads to his iconic Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and dramatic The Sorrows of Young Werther. Additionally, he conducted scientific research as well as holding various governmental posts. At the mid-1770s, Germans began striving to establish a literary culture comparable to England and France. Intellectuals such as Lessing and Herder championed this effort while Goethe insisted German literature should draw from local t