Historiography and Fiction

This book examines Siegfried Lenz' "Deutschstunde" (1968), "Das Vorbild" (1973) and "Heimatmuseum" (1978) and the -Historikerstreit- in West Germany. The analysis of retrospective narratives in Lenz' novels, a definitive literary statement on how a personal history is created, and the dialogue between the participants in the -Historikerstreit- links individual history with the public debate. Thus, parallels between retrospective narratives in fiction and narrative strategies in a professional exchange are exposed. Ultimately, this correlation establishes a powerful link between narrative structure, historical consciousness and ideology."