Literary development was stunted during this period by the Thirty Year's War (1618-1648). Throughout this period, the baroque style of exaggeration and elaboration predominate. An example of this is "The Adventures of Simplicissimus" by Hans Jacob von Grimmelshausen, who was heavily influenced by visionary Jakob Bohme.

Writers of this period were also obsessed with the idea of trying to be superior to surrounding countries, and thus Sprachgesellschaften (language academies) were founded in the effort to purify and promote the German language.

The tragedy, as a response to the death and destruction of the Thirty Year's War, was very popular amongst writers such as Andreas Gryphius and Daniel Caspar von Lohenstein.

Poetry began to flourish again under authors like Martin Opitz. The sonnet and alexandrine verse were the forms of choice. Influenced by the baroque style, these authors produced vivid and powerful poems including: Paul Fleming's "Zur Zeit seiner Verstossung", Andreas Gryphius' "Tränen des Vaterlandes", Christian Hofmann von Hofmanns-Waldau's "Die Welt", and Simon Dach's "Anke von Tharaw". Protestant poetry also prospered with the hymns of Paul Gerhardt.