Memory and Destruction: A Psychiatric Approach to Understanding Literary Depictions of Air Raids in World War II

Abstract

It is in the context of these psychiatric and political issues that this dissertation explores the bombing literature and their authors. Contrary to Sebald's assertions, the air raids have indeed been a topic of German literature and several narratives are discussed in the thesis (Nossack, Borchert, Ledig, Kluge, Kempowski, Forte). In addition, German-Jewish accounts of the bombings (Kemperer, Biermann), displaying the mixed view of them as both horror and signs of freedom, reveal the complexity of the issue. Interestingly, some of the best literature about the air raids comes from non-German authors (Vonnegut, Mulisch, Coulonges), who offer artistically and intellectually challenging texts, exploring both German guilt and psychological trauma. This dissertation offers new insight into an important period of German history and literature, and provides new pathways for exploring war and trauma literature in general.