German books · the top 40

The 40 most-looked-up German books and where they are set

Novels, stories, picture stories, plays, epic poems and a memoir by German authors, ranked by German Wikipedia pageviews from August 2021 to July 2026. Places are where the story is set, not where it was written.

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Map: The 40 most-looked-up German books and where they are set, ranked by German Wikipedia pageviews, August 2021 – July 2026. A named town is a pin; an area the story is set in, where it names no town, is shaded; a book set wholly abroad or in no real place has no pin. 1. Im Westen nichts Neues, Remarque (1928): an unnamed home town; + abroad. 2. Struwwelpeter, Heinrich Hoffmann (1845): no place named. 3. Faust, Goethe (1808): Auerbachs Keller, Leipzig; the Brocken, Harz; an unnamed town. 4. Der Schwarm, Schätzing (2004): Kiel; + abroad. 5. Nibelungenlied, anonymous (c. 1200): Worms; Xanten; + abroad. 6. Der Zauberberg, Thomas Mann (1924): outside Germany. 7. Woyzeck, Büchner (1875): an unnamed German garrison town. 8. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, Christiane F. (1978): Berlin. 9. Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, Goethe (1774): fictional Wahlheim (Garbenheim). 10. Buddenbrooks, Thomas Mann (1901): the unnamed city (Lübeck); Hamburg; Munich. 11. Momo, Michael Ende (1973): an unnamed city. 12. Das Parfum, Süskind (1985): outside Germany. 13. Krabat, Preußler (1971): the mill by Schwarzkollm, Lusatia. 14. Die Dreigroschenoper, Brecht (1928): outside Germany. 15. Grimms Märchen, Brothers Grimm (1812): no single setting. 16. Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer, Michael Ende (1960): an invented world (Lummerland). 17. Nathan der Weise, Lessing (1779): outside Germany. 18. Max und Moritz, Wilhelm Busch (1865): an unnamed village. 19. Der Sandmann, E. T. A. Hoffmann (1816): two unnamed towns. 20. Der Schimmelreiter, Storm (1888): a dike village, North Frisia. 21. Der zerbrochne Krug, Kleist (1808): outside Germany. 22. Der Vorleser, Schlink (1995): an unnamed West German city. 23. Biene Maja, Bonsels (1912): a meadow, no place named. 24. Effi Briest, Fontane (1894): Berlin; + abroad. 25. Die Blechtrommel, Grass (1959): Düsseldorf; + abroad. 26. Parzival, Wolfram von Eschenbach (c. 1200): legendary Arthurian lands. 27. Tschick, Herrndorf (2010): Marzahn, Berlin; a road trip through eastern Germany. 28. Der Fall Collini, von Schirach (2011): Berlin; Ludwigsburg. 29. Deutschstunde, Siegfried Lenz (1968): fictional Rugbüll, Schleswig-Holstein; a detention island by Hamburg. 30. Achtsam morden, Dusse (2019): Berlin. 31. Corpus Delicti, Juli Zeh (2009): no place named. 32. Die Räuber, Schiller (1781): Count Moor’s castle, Franconia; + abroad. 33. Felix Krull, Thomas Mann (1954): Rheingau; Frankfurt; + abroad. 34. Emilia Galotti, Lessing (1772): outside Germany. 35. Michael Kohlhaas, Kleist (1810): Kohlhasenbrück, Brandenburg; Dresden; Wittenberg. 36. Der Tod in Venedig, Thomas Mann (1912): Munich; + abroad. 37. Kabale und Liebe, Schiller (1784): a German prince’s court. 38. Die Therapie, Fitzek (2006): fictional Parkum island. 39. Das kalte Herz, Hauff (1827): Black Forest. 40. Emil und die Detektive, Kästner (1929): Berlin.
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The books behind the map

24 of the 40 are set wholly or partly in Germany. “Outside Germany” marks a book set wholly abroad; “+ abroad”, one largely set elsewhere.

  1. Im Westen nichts Neues Remarque 1928an unnamed home town + abroad
  2. Struwwelpeter Heinrich Hoffmann 1845no place named
  3. Faust Goethe 1808Auerbachs Keller, Leipzig; the Brocken, Harz; an unnamed town
  4. Der Schwarm Schätzing 2004Kiel + abroad
  5. Nibelungenlied anonymous c. 1200Worms; Xanten + abroad
  6. Der Zauberberg Thomas Mann 1924outside Germany
  7. Woyzeck Büchner 1875an unnamed German garrison town
  8. Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo Christiane F. 1978Berlin
  9. Die Leiden des jungen Werthers Goethe 1774fictional Wahlheim (Garbenheim)
  10. Buddenbrooks Thomas Mann 1901the unnamed city (Lübeck); Hamburg; Munich
  11. Momo Michael Ende 1973an unnamed city
  12. Das Parfum Süskind 1985outside Germany
  13. Krabat Preußler 1971the mill by Schwarzkollm, Lusatia
  14. Die Dreigroschenoper Brecht 1928outside Germany
  15. Grimms Märchen Brothers Grimm 1812no single setting
  16. Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer Michael Ende 1960an invented world (Lummerland)
  17. Nathan der Weise Lessing 1779outside Germany
  18. Max und Moritz Wilhelm Busch 1865an unnamed village
  19. Der Sandmann E. T. A. Hoffmann 1816two unnamed towns
  20. Der Schimmelreiter Storm 1888a dike village, North Frisia
  21. Der zerbrochne Krug Kleist 1808outside Germany
  22. Der Vorleser Schlink 1995an unnamed West German city
  23. Biene Maja Bonsels 1912a meadow, no place named
  24. Effi Briest Fontane 1894Berlin + abroad
  25. Die Blechtrommel Grass 1959Düsseldorf + abroad
  26. Parzival Wolfram von Eschenbach c. 1200legendary Arthurian lands
  27. Tschick Herrndorf 2010Marzahn, Berlin; a road trip through eastern Germany
  28. Der Fall Collini von Schirach 2011Berlin; Ludwigsburg
  29. Deutschstunde Siegfried Lenz 1968fictional Rugbüll, Schleswig-Holstein; a detention island by Hamburg
  30. Achtsam morden Dusse 2019Berlin
  31. Corpus Delicti Juli Zeh 2009no place named
  32. Die Räuber Schiller 1781Count Moor’s castle, Franconia + abroad
  33. Felix Krull Thomas Mann 1954Rheingau; Frankfurt + abroad
  34. Emilia Galotti Lessing 1772outside Germany
  35. Michael Kohlhaas Kleist 1810Kohlhasenbrück, Brandenburg; Dresden; Wittenberg
  36. Der Tod in Venedig Thomas Mann 1912Munich + abroad
  37. Kabale und Liebe Schiller 1784a German prince’s court
  38. Die Therapie Fitzek 2006fictional Parkum island
  39. Das kalte Herz Hauff 1827Black Forest
  40. Emil und die Detektive Kästner 1929Berlin

How we placed them

Stories only, written in German by German authors: novels, stories, picture stories, plays, epic poems and memoirs. Poems, essays, speeches, laws, series, single tales from the Grimms’ collection and books by Austrian, Swiss and other non-German authors are left out, 35 titles looked up more, among them Erlkönig, Der Zauberlehrling, Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

Each setting comes from the book's plot on Wikipedia, or for three plays their own text on Wikisource, checked against Wikidata. A pin is a named town; shading, a region where no town is named.

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