Siegfried Lenz Books

In this major work of post-World War II German fiction, the author explores the intersection of duty and personal loyalty through the eyes of Siggi Jepsen, a young boy caught between the oppressive Nazi regime and a creative artist. Siggi's father, a constable at a remote police station, is tasked with enforcing orders from Berlin to suppress the Expressionist artist next door, leading Siggi to secretly hide the artist's paintings. Set against the stark backdrop of the Danish borderland, the narrative delves into the complex dynamics of father-son relationships during wartime. The novel is noted for its avoidance of graphic violence, instead focusing on the moral dilemmas faced by individuals under totalitarian rule. Critics have praised its clarity, elegance, and the skillful organization of its themes. The portrayal of the bleak landscape and the nuanced conflict between duty and conscience is described as both mordantly witty and deeply thought-provoking. The work is recognized as a significant contribution to understanding the German experience during this tumultuous period, offering new insights into the era's madness and the human condition. The English translation is lauded for capturing the original's power and depth.

It is the last watch of the lightship that stands at anchor in the Baltic Sea, near the port of Kiel; it is nine years since the end of World War II and the mines she warned the shipping of have been removed. But on her last watch, her peace is interrupted: her captain, Freytag, takes in three men whose boat has broken down, and with them, their illegal cargo of guns. Held hostage on the ship by the three criminals, headed by the sinister Dr Caspary, the tensions between captain and crew become apparent. Freytag still hopes for a peaceful end to the watch; but his son, Fred, and his resourceful but outgunned crew cannot forget Freytag’s dishonour in the war. As a stalemate develops, Freytag finds he must make a final choice - one that must redeem him in the eyes of his men.

"Previously unpublished, this German postwar classic is one of the best books of this major writer, who died in 2014. The last summer before the end of World War II, Walter Proska is posted to a small unit tasked with ensuring the safety of a railway line deep in the forest on the border with Ukraine and Byelorussia. In this swampy region, a handful of men--stunned by the heat, attacked by mosquitoes, and abandoned by their own troops in the face of the resistance--must also submit to the increasingly absurd and inhuman orders of their superior. Time passes, and the soldiers isolate themselves, haunted by madness and the desire for death. An encounter with a young Polish partisan, Wanda, makes Proska further doubt the validity of his oath of allegiance, and he seeks to answer the questions that obsess him: When conscience and duty clash, which is more important? Is it possible to take any action without becoming guilty in some way? And where is Wanda, this woman from the resistance he can't forget? Written in 1951, The Turncoat is Siegfried Lenz's second novel. Rejected by his publisher, who thought that the story of a German soldier deciding to join the Red Army would be unwelcome in the context of the Cold War, the manuscript was forgotten for nearly seventy years before being rediscovered after the author's death. A posthumous triumph"-- Provided by publisher

In "Über die Versuchung der Macht" thematisiert Siegfried Lenz in vier Bühnenwerken die Probleme von Macht und Schuld. Neun Bürger müssen einem Attentäter Namen entlocken, um ihre Freiheit zu erlangen. Die Stücke zeigen die Mechanismen der Diktatur und die menschliche Anfälligkeit für Machtverlockungen auf.

Weitausholend und ausgehend von der Maxime, dass Weltkunde mit Heimatkunde beginnt, wird der Lebensbericht eines Teppichwebers und das Schicksal eines Landstrichs mit seinem Brauchtum eingebettet in die Geschichte der letzten 60 Jahre: vom 1. Weltkrieg bis zum grossen Treck und Neubeginn in Schleswig 1945.

Hans soll die Sachen seines Pflegebruders Arne verpacken und erinnert sich an deren gemeinsame Zeit. Arne, ein Pflegekind nach dem Tod seiner Familie, kämpft um Akzeptanz in seiner neuen Familie. Trotz seiner Bewunderung für Wiebke bleibt er isoliert und riskiert schließlich alles, was zu einem Unfall führt, nach dem er verschwindet.

Die wichtigsten Essays von Siegfried Lenz zu Literatur, Gesellschaft und Politik. Ausgewählt und mit einem Vorwort von Heinrich Detering. Der Modus des Staunens ist eine Grundhaltung, die das essayistische Werk von Siegfried Lenz durchzieht. Von jeher begegnet er der Welt und der Weltliteratur mit großer Offenheit und Empathie. Deshalb sind seine Texte zu literarischen und politischen Themen wie auch seine autobiographischen Ausführungen stets Gelegenheitswerke im besten Wortsinn. »Und vielleicht ist dies das überzeugende Geschenk des Müßiggangs: die Gelegenheit zum Staunen, die uns gewährt wird. Wer aber staunt, wer sich selbst aus bescheidenem Anlaß wundert, der beginnt unweigerlich zu fragen, und wer Fragen stellt, wird zu Schlussfolgerungen gelangen: Der Müßiggang wird zu einem aufregenden Zustand.«