Literature options for AQA A Level German

A guide to the set texts for AQA

This guide is based on the set texts from the AQA syllabus for 2024-25.

The AQA A Level in German offers students a selection of books, plays and films on which to base their studies for Paper 2 (Writing).

For the AQA Paper 2 (Writing), candidates prepare two of the prescribed literary works and films: either two books, including plays, or one book and one film. The exam paper features a choice of two essay questions on each of the prescribed literary works and films. The total duration of the exam is 2 hours.

Here is a brief overview of each of the literature options.

Generally, the taught options for our online A Level German courses are:

📖 Die Verwandlung, Franz Kafka

🎞️ Good Bye, Lenin!, dir. Wolfgang Becker

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Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum

Heinrich Böll, 1974

In 1974 Heinrich Böll said in an interview “Die Gewalt von Worten kann manchmal schlimmer sein als die von Ohrfeigen und Pistolen” (The violence of words may be more severe than that of slaps and pistols). This quote encapsulates not only the key message of his novel, but also Böll’s first hand experiences of dealing with the press and the power of its calculated words.

Böll was born in 1917 in Cologne. His family were Catholics and pacifists who opposed Nazism and the violence and war it brought with it. Böll refused to join the Hitler Youth. He was nevertheless conscripted into the Wehrmacht in 1939, cutting short his studies at the University of Cologne, which he had begun the same year.

Writing after the war, Böll criticised political parties and the Catholic Church, defended the right to a fair trial for members of the Red Army Faction, and attacked newspapers for disingenuous journalism. Consequently, he was black listed by the Christian Democratic Party of Germany and labelled a terrorist sympathiser, and a liberal and left-wing lunatic.

These experiences undoubedly influenced die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum. Katharina falls in love with a man, who, unbeknownst to her, is a member of the Red Army Faction. For this, she is hounded by the press, and one journalist in particular, who harass her friends, family and employers. The sensationalism whipped up by unfounded reports and articles forces her to withdraw from society, leads to a police investigation, and turns her into the very criminal that disingenuous journalism always wanted her to be.

Indeed, the full title of the novel is Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum oder: Wie Gewalt entstehen und wohin sie führen kann.

An example quote:

Es wird nie mehr so sein, nie mehr. Sie machen das Mädchen fertig. Wenn nicht die Polizei, dann die ZEITUNG, und wenn die ZEITUNG die Lust an ihr verliert, dann machen’s die Leute

Why you should study this work:

The novel is less popular than others at A-level but without good reason. It is modern and its themes are arguably more relevant than ever. If journalism and its effects could be deadly 40 years ago, the unregulated stream of media today must be even more vicious. Alongside this central theme, Böll also deals with the themes of love, self-respect, loyalty, morality, abuse, and duty.

Böll uses modern language. Words and phrases that are unfamiliar can, in most cases, be deduced from context. New vocabulary can certainly be used in real life situations, making this novel a useful tool for learning the language, as well as discussing important themes.

Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder

Bertolt Brecht, 1941

This play is subtitled Eine Chronik aus dem Dreißigjährigen Krieg and Brecht uses the context of the Thirty Years’ War to strongly condemn all aspects and iterations of war.

Brecht was born in 1898 in Bavaria, and was 16 when he first experienced the effects, albeit indirectly, of war. He avoided conscription in with the help of his father, who suggested he study medicine, as medical professionals were excluded from fighting. Brecht fled Germany when the Nazis came to power and became a prominent writer of Exilliteratur, which opposed the National Socialist and Fascist movements in Europe. Mutter Courage und ihre Kinder belongs to his works of Exile literature.

The Thirty Years’ War (1618-1638) is perhaps the most devastating war of all time for Germany. Historians tend to agree that Germany suffered a population decline of around 15-20%. In comparison, Germany’s population declined by approximately 3-4% due to the First World War, and approximately 12% due to the Second World War. It’s towns and cities were also devastated (see the etymology of the verb magdeburgisieren) and some other regions were completely depopulated. The war has therefore been used by many to argue against conflict and division in the 20th century, and Mother Courage und ihre Kinder is a wonderful example of this anti-war literature.

The play follows Mother Courage and her children over 17 years of the war, during which time the many harsh realities of conflict are presented and examined. Her two sons, Eilif and Swiss Cheese (Schweizerkas), display differing attitudes to the war, Eilif is keen to join and serve, Swiss Cheese faces the war with honesty and decency. Her daughter Kattrin is quiet and withdrawn. None of her children escape the very worse consequences of war.

Mother Courage spends the war nevertheless travelling and selling provisions throughout Germany, encountering soldiers and civilians, all of whom have also been affected by the war, and many of whom propagate its effects. Mother Courage sees these effects first hand; possessions, loved ones, morals, and beliefs are all taken unscrupulously by the war effort, and yet Mother Courage’s unwavering attitude towards war serves as a stark and foreboding message to those who have not been affected by it.

A example quote:

Der Krieg ist nix als die Geschäfte

Why you should study this work:

This work is much less studied at A-level. It is a complex play, which often jumps forward in time irregularly and without warning; periods of years often pass and the location of the play is often unclear. This makes the story quite tricky to follow. The Thirty Years’ War is itself incredibly complex, as it pulled many states, kingdoms and empires into a political and religious conflict. The play is perhaps therefore a wonderful representation of the confusion and pandemonium of war. Nevertheless, in order to understand this work, an overview of the Thirty Years’ War is necessary and so if history is of interest, this play certainly will be too.

The language is relatively tricky. The vocabulary is at times very specific and so will be of less immediate value for modern use. There are also instances of colloquialisms, which should not be imitated at A-level (see nix in the quote above). However, this play is considered one of the greatest pieces of anti-war literature, and mastering the language now will set you up well for the further study of German-language literature.

Der Besuch der alten Dame

Friedrich Dürrenmatt, 1956

Dürrenmatt’s play is a tragicomedy which takes place in the forgotten and decaying town of Güllen (Gülle can be translated as liquid manure) after the arrival of a millionairess. The inhabitants of Güllen hope that she will revitalise the town by gifting some of her immense wealth, and indeed the elderly lady does agree to this, but on one deadly condition.

Dürrenmatt was born in the canton of Bern in 1921, and later studied philosophy and literature in the capital. He became a prominent figure of Episches Theater, a movement heavily influenced by Bertolt Brecht. Epic Theatre does not refer to the scale or length of the play, but emphasises the audience, who are required to form their own opinions and draw their own moral conclusions from the play.

Der Besuch der alten Dame is therefore an excellent play for discussion. Its themes include justice, morality, the power of money, responsibility, love, (de)humanisation, irony, corruption, and hope. The story unfolds chronologically and in real time, with important details from characters’ pasts naturally and clearly narrated. The conclusion of the play is, as is typical of Epic Theatre, clearly ambiguous; the audience understands what has happened but not how, or perhaps why.

The two key characters are Claire Zachanassian and Alfred Ill and it is their former romance that leads to Claire’s return to her home town. In the present day, Alfred has a loving family, and Claire has a retinue of men called Roby, Toby, Loby, Koby and Boby, as well as a black panther. As the play progresses the audience learns of the origins of Claire’s retinue, as well as her motivations for returning to Güllen with them.    

An example quote:

Die Welt machte mich zu einer Hure, nun mache ich sie zu einem Bordell

Why you should study this work:

This play is well known in Germany as the majority of pupils study it at school. It is also a very popular choice for A-level in England. Consequently, there are many high quality resources in both English and German for self-study and revision. Its themes are still relevant today and are easily accessible, whilst the darkly humorous plot makes discussion of these themes perhaps less arduous than they should be. Nevertheless the themes are important and serious and so every comical scene is worthy of thoughtful analysis.

The language is relevant and applicable today. As a play, there are some examples of colloquial and informal speech, but the language is nevertheless correct and useable at A-level and in real life situations. There are also some wonderful phrases and expressions which further make the play a useful tool for vocabulary acquisition. Where vocabulary is new, very often the context gives clues on meaning, although some of the colloquial and obscure language will have to be looked up.

Buch der Lieder

Heinrich Heine, 1827

Christian Johann Heinrich Heine was born in 1797 in Düsseldorf to a Jewish family. During the Napoleonic wars, Düsseldorf came under French control between 1806 and 1815, during which time Heine became a supporter of the Napoleonic Code and French culture. This influence can be seen in many of his works. Between 1819 and 1826 he spent time in Berlin, Lüneburg, which he considered his homecoming, and Hamburg, as well as travelling through Germany, when he began recounting his travels in die Harzreise. During this time he converted to Protestantism as Jewish persecution was on the rise; Jews were barred from certain professions by the Prussian elite. It was also in this time that he wrote and published many poems. These would later be published again in 1827, as a collection under the title Buch der Leider.

In Heinrich Heines Buch der Leider, his poems are organised into the following sections:

• Junge Leiden

• Die Heimkehr

• Lyrisches Intermezzo

• "Aus der Harzreise"

• Die Nordsee

  
  

Although each section somewhat corresponds to a period in his life, the collection is not autobiographical. It is however clear that many of his poems are critical and satirical of pervasive movements of the time, such as Romanticism and conservatism, and that he began to favour the school of thought which drove the French Revolution, rather than that of the German elite. The collection was also critical of contemporary antisemitism, Donna Clara from the Heimkehr section is an example of this.

An example poem:

Here is the shortest poem taken from the section Youthful Sorrows:

Anfangs wollt ich fast verzagen,

Und ich glaubt, ich trüg es nie;

Und ich hab es doch getragen -

Aber fragt mich nur nicht, wie?

Why you should study this work:

This collection was extremely influential and sensational, not only because it was subject to censorship in Germany, often for Heine’s vulgar language, but also because many of the poems were adapted by composers, such as Schumann and Mendelssohn. His criticism of the time gives a valuable insight into a period in German history, which is arguably less well known.

This work is very seldom studied at A-level and consequently there are far fewer resources available for independent learning. Poetry often creatively ignores grammar and perhaps even more so when taken from the 19th century. The vocabulary itself will also be less useful in real life situations. The verb verzagen, taken from the poem above, is listed in the Duden as literary and rare language, for example.

There are more than 150 poems and, when looking at past questions set by AQA, this means there is great scope and flexibility when writing essays. For example, AQA have previously asked Analysieren Sie die Darstellung von Leidenserfahrungen in Heines Werk and Analysieren Sie mit Bezug auf zwei oder drei Gedichte die Techniken, die Heine benutzt, um Gefühle und Ideen zu äußern. A very secure and fundamental understanding of Heine’s poetry as a whole, rather than a list of key themes and quotes, is therefore required.

You should read this collection if you are interested in poetry, Europe in the early 19th century, and if you enjoy the challenge of essay writing with greater freedom.

Zonenkinder

Jana Hensel, 2002

Born in Leipzig in 1979, Hensel wrote Zonenkinder as an autobiographical account of growing up in the Zone, a nickname for the GDR at the time, and her experiences of the cultural shift that occurred in East Germany after the Wall fell.

Whilst the fall of the Berlin Wall is often labelled as the (beginning of the) re-unification of Germany, and indeed as part of the A-level you will study die Wiedervereinigung und ihre Folgen, East and West Germany were arguably never re-unified.

West Germany absorbed East Germany. West Germany’s official name was the Federal Republic of Germany, this is Germany’s official name today. East Germany was the German Democratic Republic, and this no longer exists. In 1990 East Germans lost their country and government, culture and way of life, currency and boarders, and to a certain extent, their language. West Germany on the other hand only got bigger.

This is the focus of Hensel’s book. She was 13 when the Wall fell in 1989. She recounts the challenges that she and her fellow, former East Germans encountered. She writes about how quickly it all happened, her school days, her first love Sasha, her time in the Young Pioneers, the differences in going shopping in the East and West, the older generation’s nostalgia for the Zone, and the political situation that lingered in the East after the Wall fell. Hensel also includes in her  writing how, after only 40 years of division, the language of East and West Germany had begun to diverge. However, the key theme in her book centres on how everything looked the same, but felt so different.   

An example quote:

Mein Leipzig allerdings war das auch nicht mehr

Why you should study this work:

East and West Germany remain divided. There exists a clear divide in politics, religion and economics. This book gives a wonderful insight into why there is very much still a Mauer im Kopf in the East. It is an autobiographical story, which Angela Merkel also read and praised highly, and so provides a realistic and heartfelt account of events.

The language is very up-to-date, and where East German words and phrases are used, Hensel makes it very clear what she is talking about. This book is an excellent source of vocabulary and cultural knowledge. Despite this, it is far less popular at A-level than it should be, and consequently there are fewer resources available.

Russendisko

Wladimir Kaminer, 2000

Born in Moscow in 1967, Vladimir Viktorovich Kaminer was granted asylum on humanitarian grounds in 1990 to the German Democratic Republic, two months before the East ceased to exist.

Russendisko is a collection of short anecdotes of what life was like in the early 1990s for Russian immigrants to Germany. Russendisko itself is a music genre which blends traditional Russian volk music with new genres such as jazz or rock, and so is perhaps apt for Kaminer’s stories.     

The book begins with Kaminer and his friend Misha travelling to Germany on the advice of his father, as there were few opportunities for Jews in Soviet Russia. In Berlin, Kaminer meets fellow Russians, including his future wife, and other immigrants who are trying to build better lives in Germany. The remainder of the book is composed of snapshots of his experiences as he does indeed succeed in building himself and his family a new life in Germany. Some of the titles of these snapshots include: Die Mücken sind anderswo, Der türkische Kater, Deutschunterricht and Warum ich immer noch keinen Antrag auf Einbürgerung gestellt habe.

The autobiographical recount of Kaminer’s life is humorous and authentic. He talks about his family and friends, the hardships, and the humorous situations they encounter. His battle with the German language is not only enjoyable to read but also relatable, whilst his experiences of growing up in Soviet Russia, only catching glimpses of the West through TV programmes and stories from neighbours, are both heart-warming and wrenching. Despite the fast-paced, comical style of the book, this is an insight into the story of a man who felt he had to leave his family and country for a better life.

An example quote:

Freiheit ist die Möglichkeit, abzuhauen

Why you should study this work:

Kaminer is not a native speaker of German, and only came to Germany at the age of 22. Nevertheless, less than 10 years after his arrival, he had published a German language book. The language is therefore very accessible and well thought out, explaining often complex and serious issues with simple vocabulary and grammar. This book will certainly help to improve your German.

It is less popular at A-level and rarely studied in Germany and so there are few resources available which will help you prepare for the exam. He has written many books on his experiences however, and whilst they cannot be quoted in the exam, they do provide further insight into life as an immigrant in Germany. For example, Mein Leben im Schrebergarten, 2007, is fantastic, and offers a wonderful and humorous insight into the cutthroat world of German allotment gardening.

Andorra

Max Frisch, 1961

Frisch was born in Zürich in 1911, where he later studied German literature and then architecture between 1930 and 1940, before setting up his own architecture business in 1942. During his studies he worked as a journalist and began writing his first novel. Frisch travelled extensively through Europe after the Second World War, and these travels have surely influenced his play Andorra.

Andorra is an example of Episches Theater, and Frisch asks his audience to reflect on how they, or society, might succumb to discrimination, hypocrisy, and murder through a lack of morals, responsibility, and understanding. Andri is the main character, a Jew, who lives with his adoptive father, der Lehrer, and mother, die Mutter, and their daughter, Barblin, in the country of Andorra. Der Lehrer rescued Andri from the antisemitic Blacks, die Schwarzen, who live in the neighbouring country and who are preparing to invade Andorra.

Throughout the play, Andri interacts with many inhabitants of Andorra who treat him with both overt and covert prejudice because he is Jewish. They rely on deeply rooted stereotypes of Jews in order to exclude him from certain aspects of society and mistreat him in his personal life.

The play is divided into 12 pictures, Bilder, after which there is a witness statement from almost all of the inhabitants of Andorra, justifying their treatment of Andri. All of these inhabitants are referred to only by their profession; “der Soldat”, “der Tischler”, “der Lehrer” etc, and this allows, or rather urges, the audience to transpose the events of Andorra onto other societies in the real world. A solider, a carpenter, or a teacher, exist in some form in all communities. Furthermore, Andorra is not based on its real life namesake, but rather represents any and all secluded communities.

They key message of this play is therefore much more than questioning how Antisemitism arises, but rather how does evil come about, and ultimately triumph, in a (good?) society.

An example quote:

Das ist das Böse. Alle haben es in sich, keiner will es haben, und wo soll das hin?... es muss in einen Menschen hinein, damit sie’s eines Tages packen und töten können…

Why you should study this work:

This play is Max Frisch’s most famous work. It is very popular as a topic for examination in German schools and many pupils study it at A-level in England. There are therefore many excellent resources in German and English. The overarching theme, as well as all other themes, are still very topical today and worthy of being discussed seriously, both during lessons and after.

The language of the play is also mostly accessible. As a play, the vast majority of text is speech. There are therefore many examples of quite colloquial language and style that may be unfamiliar at A-level, such as dropping the final e, contracting es to s, and replacing the pronouns er and sie with der and die. For example, “Gestern hab ich diesen Peider gesehen… der ein Aug hat auf dich”. You should not emulate this language at A-level, but this type of speech is widely heard in a real life setting.   

Die Verwandlung

Franz Kafka, 1915

⭐ Die Verwandlung is one of the works you can study with our online A Level German academy.

Based on the author’s works, the adjective “Kafkaesque” has come to be widely used to describe “a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality”, according to Mariam-Webster. Die Verwandlung certainly evokes these qualities.

Gregor Samsa is a salesman, who lives and provides for his family; his sister, mother, and father. His existence is dreary and repetitive, but nonetheless he fulfils a purpose, until one day he awakes to find himself turned into a giant bug or cockroach or vermin; he is described as turning into a ungeheuren Ungeziefer, which is tricky to translate into English.   

The short story then describes how he and his family adapt to the transformation. Gregor’s purpose, relationships, behaviour and self-perception all change, having a profound effect on each character in the book. Greta Samsa, Gregor’s sister, becomes a caretaker for him, showing the most affection throughout the story. Gregor’s father remains cold and harsh towards Gregor, though his behaviour in other regards does change, and his mother recoils, as her caring motherly love cannot overcome Gregor’s new form.

Kafka was born in 1883 into a middle-class Czech Jewish family in Prague, which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He trained as a lawyer, but spent most of his time writing. He died in 1924 at the age of 40. Throughout his life, he was plagued by self-doubt, burning and destroying much of what he wrote, and in his will asked a close friend to burn most of what remained. He had a lonely childhood and a difficult relationship with his father, who was authoritarian, whilst his mother was shy. This undoubtably influenced his writing, and can be seen in the character of Gregor Samsa.

Die Verwandlung deals with themes of family relationships, alienation, absurdism, identity, the (dis)connect between mind and body, responsibility, freedom and escapism, guilt, isolation, and what it means to be human.

An example quote:

“War er ein Tier, da ihn Musik so ergriff…?”

Why you should study this work:

The short story has been analysed and interpreted many times and the intended meaning of the story continues to be debated. It has been viewed through religious, moral and psychological lenses with very little consensus being reached. It has nevertheless influenced countless authors, artists and other creatives, consequently inspiring, and being adapted into, films, music, plays, and art. The opening sentence alone has also sparked discussions, with many different English translations having been proposed since 1933. The themes in this short story are relevant today, and the absurdism, through which they are presented, makes them all the more interesting to discuss. The book is read by pupils at school and studied at university, and is therefore a pillar of German language and literature education. There are many, many resources, including essay and whole books, on this short story in both English and German.

The language is less complicated than its content may suggest. Nevertheless the absurd and unexpected nature of many plot turns and events mean that reading this story requires patience and perseverance. There will be many words that are unfamiliar, and sentences that are complex and unending. Reading Kafka in German is however very much worth it.

Fundbüro

Siegfried Lenz, 2003

Lenz was born in current day Poland in 1926. He was conscripted into the Kriegsmarine in 1943 until the end of the Second World War. After the war, he studied English and philosophy at university, before interning at the newspaper Die Welt. In 1951, he published his first novel and began writing professionally as his main source of income. In 2003, he published his final novel, Fundbüro.

This novel focuses on Henry Neff, 24, who is not particularly ambitious, preferring easier work. He gives up his job as a train conductor, as it proves too stressful, and takes a job in a lost property office at the station. Henry enjoys this job, where he is able to amuse himself by asking people to prove they own missing property in peculiar ways, such as asking a knife thrower to make a practice throw in front of him or practicing lines with an amateur actor.

One day the briefcase of a mathematics professor, Fedor Lagutin, who is visiting from Bashkir, is handed in. Henry tracks him down, returns the case and becomes friends with Fedor. Despite Fedor and Henry’s friendship, and the love that develops between Fedor and Henry’s sister, Fedor is subjected to a great deal of racism in Germany, causing him to eventually leave the country. This leads Henry to consider the actions of his fellow Germans, their effects, and his own behaviour.      

There are several themes that Lenz addresses in his novel. Henry and other characters deal with finding and losing work, meeting strangers, the importance and banality of possessions, and also the humanity that is to be found in German bureaucracy and official business. There is also the reoccurring theme of hostility to foreigners; Ausländerfeindlichkeit.

An interesting and unusual aspect of the book is the ambiguity of when it takes place. Lenz writes of laptops and typewriters, and of intercity express trains without automatic doors, for example.

An example quote:

Den Pfeil, der dich trifft, kannst du herausreißen, Worte aber bleiben stecken für immer

Why you should study this work:

This is the most modern work on the AQA reading list. It deals with topics that are still very prevalent in German society, such as bureaucracy and meeting strangers, but also with much more global issues, such as xenophobia. It is not a very popular choice at A-level however, and, whilst being met with critical praise in Germany, also not well studied at school in Germany. Finding resources to revise from will be trickier than with other works.

The language is current and relatively straightforward. It will certainly teach new words and phrases, whilst highlighting some important topics for discussion.

Der Vorleser

Bernhard Schlink, 1995

Schlink was born in 1944 in Bielefeld into a large family. When Schlink was two years old, his father moved the family to Heidelberg, where he had accepted a position as a professor of theology. Under the Nazis regime, Schlink’s father formed the Confessing Church, which, unlike the Catholic Church, opposed the Nazis. Schlink studied law in Heidelberg and Berlin, becoming a judge at the constitutional Court in North Rhine Westphalia.

His 1995 novel focuses on Michael, a 15 year old boy, and his affair with Hanna, a 36 year old woman. During the turbulent affair, Micheal often reads to Hanna, whilst she is at times physically and emotionally abusive. The affair ends when Hanna leaves without explanation and this has a profound effect on Micheal and his subsequent relationships. This takes place in 1958 and the novel then accompanies Micheal throughout his life, giving the reader snapshots into important events. One of these is when he observes a trial for Nazis War Crimes as part of his training to be a lawyer. Hanna is on trial.

The central theme of Schlink’s book is Vergangenheitsbewältigung, which describes German society’s struggle to come to terms with its past. The age gap in Hanna and Michael’s turbulent relationship is reflects the disconnects between those who live through, and participated in, the Second World War and those who were born in its wake. Micheal’s unescapable journey to understand and rationalise this relationship symbolises the struggle of many Germans who played no role in the atrocities of Nazism but were tasked with rebuilding a country that was to blame for them.

An example quote:

Ich wollte Hannas Verbrechen zugleich verstehen und verurteilen 

Why you should study this work:

Vergangenheitsbewältigung is perhaps a phenomenon unique to Germany, and the Axis powers, and this book provides a fantastic insight into how that affected, and affects, an entire generation of Germans. This book urges the reader to consider many nuanced approaches to history as Michael’s struggle with the past is narrated. For example, the reader might consider that the average German did not commit atrocities out of innate evil or how much responsibility does one bear for the past actions of others. In any case, this book poses many important questions to consider.

The language of this book is mostly clear and the language used is contemporary. There are some instances of technical vocabulary, such as terms dealing with the trial and law, but on the whole, this book is very accessible. The book is very popular at A-level, and therefore there are many very good English-language resources.

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Kate Maria Languages offers immersive, interactive online A Level courses in German with live lessons and full tutor support.  Find out more about our A Level German courses, or attend an upcoming open event.