In the aftermath of World War II, German literature followed three basic themes: dealing with the aftermath of war, coping with the guilt of the autrocities performed in the concentration camps, and adjusting to the division of Germany.

Germany was in utter ruins after World War II. Millions of of people had died, most of the major cities were bombed into rubble, and Germany was divided. Wolfgang Koeppen explored the war and its results from many points of view with such works as "Pigeons in the Grass", "The Greenhouse", and "Death in Rome". Helmut Thielicke in his "Nihilism" attempted to explain the mindless violence and destruction that took place during the Nazi rule.

The most common theme amongst writers of this time was guilt. As the world discovered the horror of the concentration camps, the guilt mounted upon the German people. Many new authors tried to deal with this guilt, others explored it. One of the most profound works to come out of Germany after the war was "Letters and Papers from Prision" by Dietrich Bohhoeffer a clergyman who was executed in a concentration camp. This work had a profound influence not just on the German people, but the enitre world. G&uunter Grass's most famous work, "The Tin Drum" dealt with guilt through it's main character who seeks to be convicted of a crime that he didn't do, in order to satisfy the guilt he feels. This novel was followed by other works such as "Dog Years", "Local Anesthetic", and "From the Diary of a Snail".

Some of the writers of the previous age also chose to write about the guilt. With their past experience of the expressionism movement, they were more successful at confronting the problem. These writers include: Franz Werfel, Elisabeth Langgässer, Hermann Kasack, Hermann Broch with his "The Guiltless", and Thomas Mann with his "The Holy Sinner".

Heinrich Böll became popular amongst Germans because he chose not to write about guilt. He produced many works with simple plots such as "The Train Was on Time", "The Clown", and "Precautionary Siege". He was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1972 and, as part of Gruppe 47, he, along with Günter Grass (see above), and Uwe Johnson organized a literary resurgenece.

During the 1960s into the 1980s, the division of Germany was a popular topic. One of the most popular authors on this subject was the afore mentioned Uwe Johnson. Her "The Third Book About Achim" and "Two Views" deal with problems of a divided Germany. Another author, Christoph Hein wrote "Der Tangospieler", which deals with life in Communist East Germany.