The debate over Erwin Strittmatter is once again about German 20th-century history about National Socialism, the War and the Holocaust and German guilt. East Germany and its literature also play a role, as do the radical changes after 1989. The dispute over remembrance is also about moral issues such as civil courage or treason.Why have new facts pertaining to the biography of Erwin Strittmatter led to a public uproar? How do institutions tasked with fostering the cultural memory of the author respond? What is the impact of recent archival findings and the vantage point of the present day on how the author and his texts are viewed?This volume offers important contributions to the debate as well as hitherto unknown original documents and eyewitness accounts. They enable the reader to gain a wider picture of the author and his work.

Prof. Dr. Carsten Gansel lehrt Neuere deutsche Literatur und Literatur- und Mediendidaktik an der Universität Gießen. Er ist zudem Vorsitzender der Jury zur Verleihung des Uwe-Johnson-Literaturpreises sowie des Uwe-Johnson-Förderpreises und Mitglied des P.E.N.-Zentrums Deutschland. 2012 wurde er für den Diefenbaker Award (Canada) nominiert.