German literature

High school (ages 12+)
Art & Creativity

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/german-literature

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What are the oldest German stories called?The oldest German stories are the Hildebrandslied and the Nibelungenlied. They were written around 830 AD and 1200 AD, and they tell heroic tales of battles and treasure.
2. Why did the Brothers Grimm collect fairy tales?They wanted to keep German stories alive during a time of political change. By gathering and editing them, they helped build a shared German culture and shared these tales with the world.

Middle High German: The stage of the German language spoken from approximately 1050 to 1350, a period of significant literary flourishing.
Sturm und Drang: A German literary movement of the late 18th century characterized by emotional intensity and rebellion against artistic conventions.
Expressionism: An early 20th-century artistic movement that sought to express subjective emotions and experiences rather than objective reality.
Existentialism: A philosophical theory emphasizing individual existence, freedom, and choice, heavily influenced by German thinkers and writers.