Heinrich Böll
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Major Issues Major IssuesCritics often study Heinrich Böll’s literary works in the context of postwar German literature and have identified Böll’s very significant contributions to his country’s cultural renewal. The presentation of ruin, degradation, and senseless death are characteristics of the genre of "rubble literature" produced by Böll and his contemporaries. Scholars also note, however, a tone of compassionate morality and redemptive humanity in Böll’s writing. Böll has been observed to criticize social institutions, while revealing his optimistic faith in the individual and the family. His simple, understated style has been compared to modernist American writers. His work can also be studied alongside that of other satirists, as can his use of humour to expose human, community, and institutional weaknesses. Author LinksHeinrich Böll (1917-1985)Biographical and critical essay outlining Böll’s most important themes and major works. The conscience of a nation: Heinrich Böll A short essay examining Böll’s significance as the dark voice of 20th century Germany. Heinrich Böll: A Chronology Chronological listing of important dates and events in Boll’s life. An Essay on the Reason of Poetry Transcript of Böll’s lecture given upon his receipt of the Nobel Prize in 1972.
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