The literature of the Weimar Republic is distinguished both by its exceptional quality and by the endless fascination of its historical period. This study is the first to analyse a representative selection of Weimar literature by setting it in the context of an in-depth presentation of the historical events, forces and developments that helped to mould it. Appealing to both literary and historical scholars, this book creates a methodological framework that enables it to demonstrate clearly the interaction between history and literature at one of the crucial junctures of the twentieth century.