Umwelt-lesebuch : green issues in contemporary German writing

The environment plays a central role in contemporary German political culture. "Umwelt-Lesebuch" provides essential factual information on the key themes of forest dieback, nuclear power, endangered species, the changing landscape, and the darker side of technology and progress, giving an overview of contemporary German responses to the global ecological problems of our time. It contains 34 German literary texts on environmental issues since the early 1970s.

These texts, including passages from novels such as Gunter Grass's "Die Rattin", essayistic prose such as Christa Wolf's "Storfall", and poems, protest songs and speeches by West and East Germans, have been chosen as much for their literary quality as for their role in furthering public debate on ecological issues and promoting environmental consciousness.

They are introduced in German, and accompanied by notes, exercises and a glossary. There is also a substantial introduction in English on the environmental movement in Germany and its expression in literature.

This includes suggestions for further reading, as well as a chronology of man-made disasters, public protest, environmental legislation and relevant publications.