Literature study guides for German set texts

Well-known school and Abitur texts, sorted by period

Many German set texts come back again and again in lessons and in the Abitur. This overview lists familiar works from the Enlightenment to the present day, so you can place each one in its period before you read, revise or write about it. The individual work summaries are not yet available on corrected.eu; the page below gives you the order and the method.

Why summaries of set texts?

A good summary helps you keep track of plot, characters and themes, but it does not replace reading the work. For an interpretation or an analysis you need the text itself, with quotations you can point to. Think of a summary as the map and the book as the territory.

Important set texts by period

The selection covers common Abitur texts from several periods. Which works your class reads depends on the curriculum of your federal state and on your school.

Enlightenment

Nathan der Weise, Emilia Galotti, Minna von Barnhelm

Sturm und Drang

Kabale und Liebe, Die Leiden des jungen Werther, Die Räuber

Weimar Classicism

Faust I, Maria Stuart, Iphigenie auf Tauris, Wilhelm Tell, Don Karlos

Romanticism

Der Sandmann, Michael Kohlhaas, Der zerbrochene Krug, Die Marquise von O, Der goldene Topf, Das Fräulein von Scuderi

Vormärz

Woyzeck, Dantons Tod

Realism

Die Judenbuche, Effi Briest, Der Schimmelreiter

Naturalism

Die Weber

Modernism

Die Verwandlung, Der Tod in Venedig, Buddenbrooks, Im Westen nichts Neues, Der Untertan, Der Steppenwolf, Demian, Der Prozess, Das Urteil, In der Strafkolonie, Frühlings Erwachen, Das Schloss, Unterm Rad

Exile literature

Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder, Leben des Galilei, Der gute Mensch von Sezuan, Schachnovelle, Jugend ohne Gott

Post-war literature

Der Besuch der alten Dame, Homo Faber, Andorra, Krabat, Die Welle, Die Physiker, Der kaukasische Kreidekreis, Der Richter und sein Henker, Draußen vor der Tür, Die Blechtrommel, Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum, Katz und Maus, Sansibar oder der letzte Grund

Contemporary literature

Der Vorleser, Tschick, Corpus Delicti, Das Parfum, Heimsuchung, Ruhm

World literature

Hamlet, Macbeth

Placing a text in its period

Most set texts can be assigned to a period, and that makes interpretation easier. Nathan der Weise and Emilia Galotti stand for the Enlightenment, Faust I and Maria Stuart for Weimar Classicism, Woyzeck for the Vormärz. Look at the date of writing, the themes and the style. Our overview of literary periods gives you a timeline.

How to use a summary

Read the summary first to fix the plot in your mind. Then learn the main characters and conflicts and work out the themes. For a term paper or an interpretation, deepen single aspects with evidence from the text. For poems, see our guide to poetry analysis, and for the language of a text, literary devices.

Writing an interpretation or a school research paper? Our proofreading checks language and form.

Frequently asked questions

Which set texts matter most for the Abitur?

Commonly read are works such as Faust I, Woyzeck, Die Verwandlung, Nathan der Weise, Der Besuch der alten Dame and Tschick. The actual selection is set by the curricula of the federal states and by your school.

Does a summary replace the book?

No. A summary secures the overview, but for interpretation and quotations you must read the work yourself. Exams expect exact knowledge of individual scenes and quotations.

How do I assign a text to a period?

By its date of writing, themes and style. Nathan der Weise belongs to the Enlightenment, Faust I to Weimar Classicism, Woyzeck to the Vormärz. A timeline of literary periods helps.

What belongs in a good summary of a work?

Author, year of publication and genre, the course of the plot in your own words, the most important characters and the central themes. Details and evaluation belong in the interpretation that follows.

How do I prepare for a literature exam?

First secure the plot, then learn how the characters relate to one another, work out the themes and conflicts and collect fitting passages. With this structure you can answer tasks on content and interpretation with confidence.