Germany Then & Now - hosted by imaginary_space

German Democratic Republic (1950-1990) and Post-Unification (after 1990)
📌 Read a Socialist Realism book or one written about the GDR by an author from the GDR! 📌

The GDR declared itself the cultural heir of the communist resistance to Nazism, so get into the literary style we call Socialist Realism.
You can also find works written by authors in the GDR that could only get published in West Germany or works that were published about the GDR and unification after 1990. All of those count for this prompt.

Notable authors & works:
  • Christa Wolf: Der geteilte Himmel (🔹 Divided Heaven) // Was bleibt (🔹 What Remains)
  • Erwin Strittmatter: 🔹 Ole Bienkopp
  • Monika Maron: Stille Zeile Sechs (🔹 Silent Close No. Six)
  • Reiner Kunze: Deckname "Lyrik" (🔹 Code Name 'Lyric')
  • Thomas Brussig: Helden wie wir (🔹 Heroes Like Us)
  • Thomas Hettche: Nox (🔹 Night)
  • Bertolt Brecht: Der gute Mensch von Sezuan (🔹 The Good Person of Szechwan)
  • Bruno Apitz: Nackt unter Wölfen (🔹 Naked Among Wolves)
  • Stefan Heym: Schatten und Licht. Geschichten aus einem geteilten Lande
  • Ulrich Plenzdorf: Die neuen Leiden des jungen W. (🔹 The New Sufferings of Young W.)
  • Sarah Kirsch: Zaubersprüche
All books added
Die vorletzte Frau by Katja Oskamp

Die vorletzte Frau

Katja Oskamp

208 pages • first pub 2024 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary
Mein drittes Leben by Daniela Krien

Mein drittes Leben

Daniela Krien

304 pages • first pub 2024 (editions)

fiction contemporary literary
Verlassene Nester by Patricia Hempel

Verlassene Nester

Patricia Hempel

304 pages • first pub 2024 (editions) user-added

fiction literary
Das Jahr ohne Sommer by Constanze Neumann

Das Jahr ohne Sommer

Constanze Neumann

192 pages • missing pub info (editions)

fiction historical
Simone by Anja Reich

Simone

Anja Reich

304 pages • first pub 2023 (editions)

nonfiction literary memoir
Blütengrab by Ada Fink

Blütengrab

Ada Fink

11 hours, 23 minutes • first pub 2021 (editions) user-added

fiction crime thriller
Heinz Labensky - und seine Sicht auf die Dinge by Michael Tsokos, Anja Tsokos

Heinz Labensky - und seine Sicht auf die Dinge

Michael Tsokos, Anja Tsokos

464 pages • missing pub info (editions)

fiction historical
The Short End of the Sonnenallee by Thomas Brussig

The Short End of the Sonnenallee

Thomas Brussig

160 pages • first pub 1999 (editions)

fiction literary funny lighthearted fast-paced
Der geteilte Himmel by Christa Wolf

Der geteilte Himmel

Christa Wolf

200 pages • first pub 1963 (editions)

fiction classics emotional reflective sad slow-paced
Haare auf Krawall: Jugendsubkultur in Leipzig 1980 bis 1991 by Connie Mareth, Ray Schneider

Haare auf Krawall: Jugendsubkultur in Leipzig 1980 bis 1991

Connie Mareth, Ray Schneider

352 pages • first pub 2020 (editions)

nonfiction biography history