Das Elend unserer Jugendliteratur

work by Wolgast

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June 26, 2026

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Heinrich Wolgast's work, Das Elend unserer Jugendliteratur (1896), meaning "The Sad State of Our Children's Literature," was a pivotal critique of German youth literature. Wolgast argued that children's literature should be a work of art, rejecting nationalistic and didactic influences that deformed the genre. His work ignited a significant controversy that, despite its zealous nature, ultimately had a positive impact on the field. This critique emerged during a period where popular authors like Karl May produced sensationalized, unrealistic tales, highlighting the need for higher literary standards in children's books.1

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children’s literature
Heritage and fairy tales
…publish in 1896 his explosive Das Elend unserer Jugendliteratur (“The Sad State of Our Children’s Literature”). The event was an important one. It advanced for the first time the express thesis that “Creative children’s literature must be a work of art”; Wolgast resolutely decried nationalistic and didactic deformations. He precipitated…
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…publish in 1896 his explosive Das Elend unserer Jugendliteratur (“The Sad State of Our Children’s Literature”). The event was an important one. It advanced for the first time the express thesis that “Creative children’s literature must be a work of art”; Wolgast resolutely decried nationalistic and didactic deformations. He precipitated…
Read More