The Movement Toward a New Social and Political Consciousness in Postwar German Prose

There is evidence in post World War II literature that a new social and political consciousness has emerged among contemporary German writers. Many of their works are «engagierte Literatur», that is works appraising the recent historical past and showing a deep concern for the future of Germany. The writers express a serious feeling of responsibility for a sound, liberal government and for the well-being of German society. The study is limited, however, to West German writers who remained in their country during the Third Reich era and it excludes the emigrant writers who either returned to their homeland after 1945 or continued to live abroad.