Open Literature Online
- Project GutenbergFree public domain books; includes freely available German classics.
- FeedbooksFree public domain books; includes freely available German classics.
- ManyBooks.netIncludes freely available German classics.
- Internet ArchiveA digital library of books and other media from US libraries.
- HathiTrust Digital LibraryA digital library collaboration for which the University of Illinois is a contributing partner. Partner libraries share digitized content with other members of Hathi Trust and public domain content is open for everyone.
Reference Works
Reference works are written by scholars and provide information on a topic such as facts, definitions, histories, overviews, statistics, etc. Examples you may be familiar with are encyclopedias, biographies, dictionaries, etc.
Print Reference
Most reference works are in print and are located in the reference areas of the Library; most cannot be checked out. Try visiting the following areas in the Main Library (or check the Library Catalog):
- Current and most frequently used: Room 200, call number range 430 (German languages) or 830 (German literature)
- Older but still useful: Main Stacks Reference, just inside the entrance to the Main Stacks
- Lesser consulted and second copies: Literature and Languages Library circulating collection, Main Stacks, or Oak Street remote storage.
Literary Terms
For general literary analysis, explore the Literature and Language Library's guide for Literary Theory.
Literaturwissenschaftliches Lexikon: Grundbegriffe der Germanistik by Call Number: 830.3 L7122006ISBN: 9783503079827Publication Date: 2006- A Glossary of German Literary Terms byCall Number: 803 G5161992ISBN: 0959765069Publication Date: 1992
Grundbegriffe der Literaturtheorie by
Der Leitfaden durch die Fülle der literaturtheoretischen Fachbegriffe. In über 210 Einträgen werden zentrale Begriffe der Literaturtheorie erläutert. Dazu zählen z.B. Dekonstruktion, Figur, Hermeneutik, Intermedialität, Kanon, Metapherntheorien, Motiv, New Historicism, Postkoloniale Literaturtheorie, Stoff und Symbol. Ein Nachschlagewerk für Studenten im Grundstudium.
Call Number: 801.95 G924ISBN: 3476103471Publication Date: 2004-04-16
Holocaust Literature
Encyclopedia of Holocaust Literature by
Whether it's a novel, memoir, diary, poem, or drama, a common thread runs through the literature of the Nazi Holocaust_a motif of personal testimony to the dearness of humanity. With that perspective the expert authors of Encyclopedia of Holocaust Literature undertake profiling 128 of the most influential first generation authors who either survived, perished, or were closely connected to the Holocaust. Arranged alphabetically by author, all of the entries answer the same basic questions about the author and his or her work: What is the nature of the author's literary response to the Holocaust? What is his or her place in Holocaust literature? What does the author's work contribute to an understanding of the Holocaust? What is distinctive about the author's work? What are some key moments in the author's life? What issues does the author's work pose for the reader? To address these questions, the entries are generally organized into three primary divisions: (1) an opening section on why the author's work has a significant or distinctive place in Holocaust literature, (2) a second section containing information on the author's biography, and (3) a critical examination of the highlights of the author's work. In most cases, the third section is the longest, since the focus of the encyclopedia is the literature, not the author. The Encyclopedia is intended for all students and teachers of the Holocaust, regardless of their levels of learning. Avenues for further research are incorporated at the conclusion of each entry and in a comprehensive bibliography of primary works of Holocaust literature and a second bibliography of critical studies of Holocaust literature.
Call Number: 809.93358 En192ISBN: 1573562572Publication Date: 2002-03-30
The Subject of Holocaust Fiction by
Fictional representations of horrific events run the risk of undercutting efforts to verify historical knowledge and may heighten our ability to respond intellectually and ethically to human experiences of devastation. In this captivating study of the epistemological, psychological, and ethical issues underlying Holocaust fiction, Emily Miller Budick examines the subjective experiences of fantasy, projection, and repression manifested in Holocaust fiction and in the reader's encounter with it. Considering works by Cynthia Ozick, Art Spiegelman, Aharon Appelfeld, Michael Chabon, and others, Budick investigates how the reading subject makes sense of these fictionalized presentations of memory and trauma, victims and victimizers.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9780253016324Publication Date: 2015-05-20
Holocaust Novelists by
This award-winning multi-volume series is dedicated to making literature and its creators better understood and more accessible to students and interested readers, while satisfying the standards of librarians, teachers and scholars. Dictionary of Literary Biography provides reliable information in an easily comprehensible format, while placing writers in the larger perspective of literary history. Dictionary of Literary Biography systematically presents career biographies and criticism of writers from all eras and all genres through volumes dedicated to specific types of literature and time periods.For a listing of Dictionary of Literary Biography volumes sorted by genre click here.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 1414404387Publication Date: 2004-07-24
Content Summaries
Plays
- Schauspielführer der Gegenwart : 1136 Stücke von 368 Autoren auf dem Theater seit 1945 ; Modernes Welttheater byCall Number: 808.82 K54M1984ISBN: 3520369044Publication Date: 1984
Novels
Reclams Romanlexikon : deutschsprachige erzählende Literatur vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Call Number: 830.93 R2442000ISBN: 9783150104743Publication Date: 2000
German Literature Databases
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Alternate version: MLA International Bibliography in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches).Indexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. Proved access to citations from worldwide publications, including periodicals, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies.
- Bibliographie der deutschen Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft This link opens in a new windowIdentifies articles on German literature and language studies.
- KLG Online This link opens in a new windowKLG is a standard reference work on contemporary German literature. Includes essays on writers, as well as complete bibliographies of primary and secondary literature. German, Austrian, and Swiss writers included.
- Verfasser-Datenbank This link opens in a new windowVerfasser-Datenbank (Database of Authors) enables, for the first time, the renowned standard reference works Die deutsche Literatur des Mittelalters, Deutscher Humanismus 1480-1520, Frühe Neuzeit in Deutschland 1520-1620 and the Killy-Literaturlexikon to be used systematically in electronic form. Over 20,000 lexicon articles on authors of German literature, ranging from the very beginnings to the present, were cross-linked in the database and their content can be accessed in a targeted manner using differentiated search criteria. In ongoing updates, the databases relating to the Middle Ages are revised in terms of content and supplemented by many current literature references which are linked to the library collections.
- Central and East European Online Library (CEEOL) This link opens in a new windowThe website Central and East European Online Library (CEEOL) is an online archive which provides access to scholarly journals and electronic books pertaining to Central and Eastern European topics. The site claims its history is rooted in the annual book fairs of Frankfurt am Main. It was developed by the Frankfurt cultural center Palais Jalta, and its related company Questasoft. Site content is provided by publishers and editors who are based in Central Europe, or by those based outside the region who deal with Eastern European histories; languages; literatures; and cultural, social and political themes related to the study of this area.
- Digitale Bibliothek Deutscher Klassiker This link opens in a new windowCovers the works of major German authors spanning eleven centuries and includes historical, philosophical, theological, political and art history texts. Collections of essays, speeches and other non-literary material add context and background material.
- Die Deutsche Lyrik in Reclams Universal-Bibliothek This link opens in a new windowFull-text electronic version covers almost 500 years of German lyric poetry and includes the work of over 500 authors from the 15th to the 20th century. Die Deutsche Lyrik in Reclams Universal-Bibliothek is published with the co-operation and support of Philipp Reclam jun., Stuttgart and covers all volumes of German poetry published within Reclams Universalbibliothek since 1945.
- Der literarische Expressionismus Online This link opens in a new windowRanging from 1910-1930, Der literarische Expressionismus Online cover 150 journals, yearbooks, anthologies and collections from the early 20th century, providing a unique body of text for research of the German expressionist movement.
- German Folklore and Popular Culture This link opens in a new windowDas Kloster is a collection of magical and occult texts, chapbooks, folklore, popular superstition and fairy tales of the German Renaissance compiled by Stuttgart antiquarian Johann Scheible, between 1845 and 1849. In addition to the Das Kloster volumes, this collection provides additional volumes of unique perspectives on Central European culture and tradition. Included are texts essential for the study of German folk traditions, the Reformation, wit and humor, and 19th-century literature.
- Goethe Werke This link opens in a new windowThis database consists primarily of the Weimar edition of Goethe's works, originally published between 1887-1919 by Hermann Böhlau. It is supplemented by Goethes Gespräche, edited by Woldemar Freiherr von Biedermann (Leipzig, 1889-1896) and all the letters discovered since the completion of the Weimar edition: Goethes Werke, Nachträge zur Weimarer Ausgabe, edited by Paul Raabe (dtv, München, 1990).
- Bertolt Brechts Werke This link opens in a new windowThe work of Bertolt Brecht (1898 - 1956) holds up a mirror to the literary and political tumult of the twentieth century. In his dramatic, poetical and theoretical texts he involves himself time and time again with the turbulent events of the times in which he lived.
In co-operation with the German publishers, Suhrkamp Verlag, Chadwyck-Healey are now publishing the first authorised electronic edition of Brecht's works. This edition is based on Bertolt Brecht - Ausgewählte Werke in sechs Bänden - Jubiläumsausgabe um 100. Geburtstag, edited by Werner Hecht, Wolfgang Jeske and Jan Knopf, which collects Brecht's works and writings in six volumes with brief notes on each text.
This resource is in German, with English version available. - Die Bibel, Martin Luther Translation This link opens in a new windowHighlights the full text of the Martin Luther translation of the Bible, provided by the University of Michigan. Allows users to conduct simple searches, proximity searches, and Boolean searches, as well as browse the translation.
- Kafkas Werke This link opens in a new windowIn cooperation with S. Fischer Verlag, Chadwyck-Healey has created an electronic version of the critical edition of Kafka's complete works, Franz Kafka, Kritische Ausgabe, Schriften und Tageb{uml}ucher, of which the first volume was published in 1982. It will be subject to ongoing revision by an editorial team.
- Luthers Werke im WWW This link opens in a new windowElectronic version of the Weimar edition which began publication in 1883 and now includes 127 volumes.
- Nietzsche SourceWebsite dedicated to publication of scholarly content on the work and life of Friedrich Nietzsche.
- MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
Alternate version: MLA International Bibliography in the classic EBSCO user interface (best for exporting more than 50 results or combining saved searches).Indexes critical materials on literature, languages, linguistics, and folklore. Proved access to citations from worldwide publications, including periodicals, books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations and bibliographies.
- Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Searchable database of full-text articles, essays, book reviews, plot summaries, poems, short stories, plays, and interviews with contemporary writers.
- Literature Criticism from 1400 to 1800The largest curated online collection of literary criticism in the world, this resource brings together 10 acclaimed multidisciplinary series representing a range of modern and historical views on authors and their works across regions, eras and genres. Multiple search and browse options are combined with an engaging format that matches the look and feel of the print originals. Note: may be limited in coverage of German authors.
- Corvey Collection of European Literature 1790 - 1840One of the most important literary discoveries of the second half of the twentieth century was the recovery of the spectacular library of more than 72,000 volumes, covering a broad range of subject areas, that was collected during the first half of the nineteenth century by Victor Amadeus, the Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenberg (1779–1834), and housed at his castle (Castle Corvey) near Paderborn, Germany. The Corvey Collection constitutes one of the most important collections of British Romantic-era writing in existence anywhere. The extent of its scholarly significance is indicated, for instance, by the considerable number of exceedingly rare publications—and even numerous previously unknown works—by British writers (and women writers in particular, whose works comprise over 1,000 of the titles) who were active during the Romantic period. In addition to this remarkable trove of English-language literary texts, Gale's Corvey Collection of European Literature also includes 3,658 works in French (including more than 500 by women) and 2,653 works in German, all of them dating primarily from the period 1790–1840.
German and Austrian Authors
In addition to the books linked below, you can find more works on German or Austrian authors via the Library Catalog:
- For specific authors:
- Works by an author: search the author's name (last name, first name)
- Works about an author: use the author's name as a topic or subject heading
- More than one author:
- Sample search terms:
- Authors, German
- Authors, Austrian
- Sample search terms:
Deutsches Literatur-Lexikon by Call Number: 928.3 K84d1996sup.ISBN: 3907820002Publication Date: 1991-03-01
Internationales Germanistenlexikon 1800-1950 by
Die Germanistik kann als Fach auf eine über 150jährige Geschichte zurückblicken. Als Wissenschaft von der deutschen Sprache und Literatur bildete sie sich in der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts heraus, und mit ihren Anfängen verbinden sich so berühmte Namen wie Jacob Grimm, Karl Lachmann und Wilhelm Wackernagel. Durch ihre Verbindung zu den anderen Philologien und Kulturwissenschaften war sie von Anfang an selbst ein Teil der Geistesgeschichte. Leben und Werk ihrer Vertreter sind daher nicht nur ein Spiegel der Wissenschafts-, sondern auch der Literatur- und Sozialgeschichte. Das Internationale Germanistenlexikon, das unter Beteiligung zahlreicher Fachgelehrter aus dem In- und Ausland am Deutschen Literaturarchiv in Marbach entwickelt wurde, bietet umfassende Informationen zu 1500 weltweit bedeutenden Germanisten zwischen 1800 und 1950. Es stellt ein grundlegendes Nachschlagewerk für Fachhistoriker und Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaftler dar und versammelt erstmals alle bio-bibliographischen Daten in systematischer Übersicht. Das Material wurde z. T. aus entlegenen Quellen und schwer zugänglichen Nachlässen gewonnen. Vorarbeiten zu diesem Lexikon wurden erbracht von Frau Dr. Christa Hempel-Küter. Jeder Artikel bietet neben ausführlichen Angaben zu Lebensdaten, akademischer Laufbahn, Ehrungen und Mitgliedschaften eine umfassende Bibliographie sowie Hinweise zum Nachlaß. Das Lexikon wird durch zahlreiche Indizes erschlossen, die gezielte Recherchen, z. B. nach Doktorvätern, Wirkungsorten oder Forschungsgegenständen, ermöglichen. Das Internationale Germanistenlexikon ist damit ein unverzichtbares, in seinem Materialreichtum einzigartiges Hilfsmittel für die Nachzeichnung und Analyse des historischen Weges der deutschen Philologie und ihrer Protagonisten. Das "Internationale Germanistenlexikon 1800-1950" findet aufmerksame Leser. Ihre Hinweise, Korrekturen und Ergänzungen, auch Diskussionsbeiträge, die eine größere Öffentlichkeit verdienen, publiziert der Herausgeber des Lexikons Christoph König in der Zeitschrift "Geschichte der Germanistik. Mitteilungen". Die dort neu eingerichtete Rubrik "Das aktuelle Lexikon" verzeichnet fortlaufend die relevanten neuen Informationen. Sie richtet sich an alle Besitzer und Nutzer des "Internationalen Germanistenlexikons 1800-1950". Interessenten an der Zeitschrift wenden sich bitte an den Wallstein-Verlag (Göttingen) oder schreiben an: Deutsches Literaturarchiv, Arbeitsstelle für die Erforschung der Geschichte der Germanistik, Postfach 1162, 71666 Marbach am Neckar; E-Mail:magg@dla-marbach.de.
Call Number: 430.9 ln886ISBN: 3110154854Publication Date: 2003-12-09- Kostbarkeiten österreichischer Literatur : 111 Porträts in Rot-Weiss-Rot byCall Number: 830.9 N349kISBN: 3800039605Publication Date: 2003
Metzler Autoren Lexikon : deutschsprachige Dichter und Schriftsteller vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart by Call Number: PT155 .M48 2004ISBN: 3476020134Publication Date: 2004
20th Century
- KLG Online This link opens in a new windowKLG is a standard reference work on contemporary German literature. Includes essays on writers, as well as complete bibliographies of primary and secondary literature. German, Austrian, and Swiss writers included.
- Deutsches Literatur-Lexikon : das 20. Jahrhundert : biographisches-bibliographisches Handbuch. byCall Number: 928.3 K84d 2000ISBN: 9783908255000Publication Date: 2000
Lexikon der deutschsprachigen Gegenwartsliteratur seit 1945 by Call Number: 830.903 L591ISBN: 348500989XPublication Date: 2003
Lexikon der Weltliteratur : biographisch-bibliographisches Handwörterbuch nach Autoren und anonymen Werken ; deutsche Autoren A-Z by Call Number: 830.3 W68d 2004ISBN: 3520837048Publication Date: 2004
Women Writers
A History of Women's Writing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland by
This book is the first English account of women's writing in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, offering both an introduction and a chronological overview of the whole field of women's writing in German-speaking countries from the Middle Ages to the present day. It will appeal both to students and scholars of German literature, and to a wider readership interested in women's writing and gender studies wishing to learn about the diversity and development of writing by women in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The sixteen chapters, written by experts in their field, provide a comprehensive account of women's writing over a thousand-year period. Extensive guides to further reading, and a detailed guide to more than four hundred writers and works, together with an index for cross-referencing, form an integral part of the volume.
Call Number: PT167 .H57 2000ISBN: 0521444829Publication Date: 2000-03-23
Writing the Self, Creating Community by
Beginning in the 1770s, the German literary market experienced unprecedented growth. The enormous demand for reading materials that stimulated this burgeoning market created new opportunities for women writers. At the same time, they still faced numerous obstacles. The new opportunities and limitations imposed on women writers are the subject of this book. The eleven essays contained within look beyond the negative strategies women writers employed, such as hiding their intellectual accomplishments or legitimizing their works by subordinating them to non-artistic purposes. Instead, they ask how women wrote about their own creative processes both directly, for example, by sketchinga female poetology, and indirectly, through literary representations of female authorship. This volume examines concepts of female authorship as they are presented in women's correspondence, theoretical statements, and literary works. The contributors bring to life the collaborative literary world of female writers through explorations of familial and professional mentorships, salons, writing circles, and their correspondences. They consider how female authors positioned themselves within contemporary intellectual discourses and analyze the tropes that shaped ideas about their authorship throughout the emerging literary marketplace of eighteenth century Europe.Contributors: Karin Baumgartner, Margaretmary Daley, Ruth P. Dawson, Denise M. Della Rossa, Renata Fuchs, Amy Jones, Julie L. J. Koehler, Elisabeth Krimmer, Sara Luly, Monika Nenon, Lauren Nossett, Angela Sanmann.Elisabeth Krimmer is Professor of German at the University of California, Davis, and Lauren Nossett is Visiting Assistant Professor of German at Randolph-Macon College.
Call Number: PT167 .W75 2020ISBN: 9781640140783Publication Date: 2020-05-15
Literary Themes & Motifs
Motive der Weltliteratur : ein Lexikon dichtungsgeschichtlicher Längsschnitte by Call Number: 803 F88m 2008ISBN: 3520301067Publication Date: 2008
Stoffe der Weltliteratur : ein Lexikon dichtungsgeschichtlicher Längsschnitte by Call Number: 803 F88s 2005ISBN: 3520300109Publication Date: 2005
Histories
In addition to the histories linked below, you can find others by using the Library Catalog. Try browsing by subject with these or related search terms:
- German literature, History and criticism
- Austrian literature, History and criticism
German Literature by
German writers, be it Goethe, Nietzsche, Marx, Brecht or Mann, have had a profound influence on the modern world. This iVery Short Introduction/i illuminates the particular character and power of German literature and its impact on the wider cultural world.Nicholas Boyle presents an engrossing tour of the course of German literature from the middle Ages to the 20th century, focussing especially on the last 250 years. He looks at key themes like idealism, modernism, and trauma, showing how they have imbued the great German writers with such distinctivevoices.
ISBN: 9780199206599Publication Date: 2008-05-28
Metzler Lexikon DDR-Literatur by
Die Literatur der DDR und was aus ihr wurde. Das Lexikon informiert in rund 280 Artikeln über das literarische Leben und die Kulturpolitik in der ehemaligen DDR. Es nimmt wichtige Autoren und Institutionen, zentrale Strömungen und Gattungen, literarische Debatten und kulturpolitische Ereignisse in den Blick. Systemkonforme Schriftsteller werden ebenso berücksichtigt wie systemkritische und diejenigen, die das Land verließen. Auch die weitere Entwicklung von in der DDR geborenen Autoren nach 1989 wird verfolgt.
ISBN: 9783476022387Publication Date: 2009-09-04- Daten deutscher Dichtung : chronologischer Abriss der deutschen Literaturgeschichte byCall Number: 830.9 F88d 2001ISBN: 3423030046Publication Date: 2001
The Long Shadow of the Past by
The process of coming to terms with its National Socialist past has been a long and difficult one in Austria. It is only over the past thirty years that the country's view of its role during the Third Reich has shifted decisively from that of victimhood to complicity, prompted by the Waldheim affair of 1986-1988. Austria's writers, filmmakers, and artists have been at the center of this process, holding upa mirror to the country's present and drawing attention to a still disturbing past.Katya Krylova's book undertakes close readings of key contemporary Austrian literary texts, films, and memorials that treat the legacy of Nazism and the Holocaust. The analysis focuses on texts by Robert Schindel, Elfriede Jelinek, and Anna Mitgutsch, documentary films by Ruth Beckermann and by Margareta Heinrich and Eduard Erne, as well as recent memorial projects inVienna, examining what these reveal about the evolving memory culture in contemporary Austria. Aimed at a broad readership, the book will be a key reference point for university teachers, undergraduates, and postgraduates engagedin scholarship on contemporary Austrian literature, film, and visual culture, and for general readers interested in confrontations with the National Socialist past in the Austrian context.KATYA KRYLOVA is Lecturer in German, Film and Visual Culture at the University of Aberdeen, UK. The Long Shadow of the Past is her second book.
Call Number: Online ResourceISBN: 9781571139399Publication Date: 2017-06-30
Bibliographies
Bibliographies of literary criticism for German-language literature are available two forms: online and in print. Online databases tend to be limited to works dating from the last few decades and to journal articles and book chapters (but often omit full books). Print bibliographies usually cover articles and books and can go back many years, perhaps even centuries. A list of online article indexes can be found in the box below.
To find more print bibliographies on German literature, search the Library Catalog using the subject heading German literature, bibliography.
Select Bibliographies
- German National Bibliography (Deutsche Nationalbibliografie)The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek's catalog includes books, journals, maps, atlases, dissertations, and Habilitationsschrifts in print or electronic format that appeared in Germany since 1913, and translations from German and foreign language Germanica since 1941.
- Bibliography of German Linguistics and Literature (Bibliographie der deutschen Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft (BDSL))From the Frankfurt University Library; a source of information for German literary studies.
- Internationale Bibliographie zur Geschichte der deutschen Literatur: von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. byCall Number: 016.8309 Al1lPublication Date: 1969
- Gesamtverzeichnis des Deutschsprachigen Schrifttums, 1911 to 1965 byCall Number: Q. 015.43 G33ISBN: 3794056000Publication Date: 1981-01-01
Literaturrecherche für Germanisten : Studienausgabe by Call Number: 016.83 H19b 2003ISBN: 3503061622Publication Date: 2003- Bibliographisches Handbuch des deutschen Schrifttums. byCall Number: A.830K84BPublication Date: 1949
Bibliographies by Century
For 15th and 16th century books, visit the Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
17th Century Books
- Personalbibliographien zu den Drucken des Barock byCall Number: 016.83 D922B1990ISBN: 3777290122Publication Date: 1990-1993
Schriftstellerinnen, Künstlerinnen und gelehrte Frauen des deutschen Barock : ein Lexikon by Call Number: Q. 830.9 W864SISBN: 3476005518Publication Date: 1984
18th - 19th Centuries
- Gesamtverzeichnis des Deutschsprachigen Schrifttums, 1700-1910 byCall Number: Q. 015.43 G329ISBN: 359830000XPublication Date: 1986-01-01
- Grundriss zur Geschichte der deutschen Dichtung aus den Quellen. byCall Number: 830.9 G54g2Publication Date: 1884
Deutsches Exilarchiv 1933-1945 : Katalog der Bücher und Broschüren by Call Number: Q. 016.83 D4893deISBN: 9783476006578Publication Date: 1989
