Wolfgang Borchert

For decades, Borchert's "Nachts schlafen die Ratten doch" was a staple in nearly every teaching resource for German classes. This short story can be seen as a prime example of its genre and represents the so-called rubble literature in an almost ideal typical way. The child protagonist and the glimmers of hope towards the end of the text explain its high popularity. Readers of all ages will find fascinating imagery, thought-provoking dialogues, and, not least, disturbing elements. The booklet illustrates, through eleven additional examples, Borchert's remarkable talent for vividly and tangibly literary capturing not only the mood of the immediate post-war period but also universal human experiences in short prose. In addition to the title story, it includes: The Three Dark Kings, On This Tuesday, The Kitchen Clock, The Long Long Street, The Bread, The Wood for Tomorrow, The Pencil Tooth or Why My Father No Longer Eats Cream Candies, Reading Book Stories, Schischyphusch or My Uncle's Waiter, This Is Our Manifesto, Then There Is Only One!.