German Language and Literature - in the Library and on the Web

Guides to Research
Dictionaries
Manuals of Grammar/Stylistics/Pronunciation
Guides to literary terms/theories/characters/plots
Histories of the language/linguistics
Guides to authors/histories of literature
Selected bibliographies
Databases and Internet Sources

Guides to Research

German Literature: An Annotated Reference Guide. 1979. Although rather dated, this annotated bibliography is a thorough source on research in German literature. It also includes a section on "related fields," such as art, music, language teaching. There is an excellent index.
(Mugar Reference X Z2231 F38)

Introduction to Library Research in German Studies: Language, Literature, and Civilization. 1984. This volume gives a general introduction into doing research, as well as specific sections on German literature and related fields. It provides a glossary of library terms as well as an index.
(Mugar Reference X Z2221 A2 R52 1984)

Wie finde ich Literatur zur deutschen Literatur. 1979. In German, this source explains the types of information found in libraries and how information is organized. It has a bibliography of useful reference sources for literature and offers some search strategies. Advice on German citation styles and a glossary of German library terms is found in the back of the volume, before the index.
(Mugar Reference X Z2231 H44)

Dictionaries

English/ German

Collins Online Dictionaries (BU only) - English translations of words in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Russian in a bilingual format.

Oxford Reference Online Dictionaries (BU only)

Langenscheidts enzyklopädisches Wörterbuch der Englischen und Deutschen Sprache. 1983.
These four volumes make up the eighth edition of the well-known Muret-Sanders dictionary. The 180,000 main entries in English include both British and American usage, and the editors have made an effort to include words relating to a wide variety of professions and fields: "all branches of science and all fields of practical life" (ix). Synonyms and pronunciation are provided.
(Mugar Reference X PF3640 L258 1983)

Langenscheidts Großwörterbuch der englischen und deutschen Sprache. 1993. This half of a two-volume work (known as "der kleine Muret-Sanders") is based on the Langenscheidts enzyklopädisches Wörterbuch der Englischen und Deutschen Sprache; it translates from German to English. The second volume covers translations from English to German (Mugar Reference X PF3640 L25733). This edition has been revised to include new vocabulary; it is also more concise (130,000 main-entry words), and has been modified to emphasize quick look-up over more detailed study. In addition, it provides information about grammar and indices to irregular verbs, common abbreviations, and proper nouns.
(Mugar Reference X PF3640 L25732 1993)

Collins German-English, English-German Dictionary. 1991. Written for an English-speaking audience, this is a basic dictionary that focuses on everyday communication and vocabulary. The editors have attempted to provide clear and easily understood descriptions.
(Mugar Reference Desk X PF3640 C68 1991)

The Oxford-Duden Pictorial German-English Dictionary. 1980. To find vocabulary terms without knowing the word in either language (e.g., the parts of a motor), this dictionary is useful. The images used to illustrate the words are organized by subject, rather in the way that a thesaurus works. Two indices, one in German and the other in English, refer either to the section in which the term is to be found or to the actual picture.
(Mugar Reference X PF3629 O9)

German Only

Duden, Deutsches Universalwörterbuch. 1996. The one-volume Duden contains over 120,000 "Stichwörter" (headwords), as well as a very helpful short German grammar. Syllabification is given; however, pronunciation is not. Many examples of correct usage are given. Abbreviations are interfiled with the words.
(Mugar Reference X PF3625 D83 1996)

Langenscheidts Grosswörterbuch Deutsch als Fremdsprache. 1998. This is a very useful dictionary designed for students learning German as a foreign language. In addition to definitions in basic German, it offers verb forms and indicates parts of speech. Several useful tables (such as irregular verbs) are included, as well as a section detailing the recent changes in correct German writing.
(Mugar Reference X PF3625 L36 1998)

Brockhaus Wahrig Deutsches Wörterbuch. 1980. A six-volume unabridged dictionary, this source makes an effort at comprehensive coverage. It includes standard speech, dialect, proper nouns, foreign terms, and a section on grammar and semantics. Syllabification for German words is given, along with the pronunciations of foreign words. Brief etymological information is provided.
(Mugar Reference X PF3625 B7M)

Historical

Deutsches Wörterbuch. 1854-1960. The brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (of fairy-tale fame) began working on this dictionary in the 1800s. The long entries track the changing uses of a word since its earliest appearance in German writing. It has been published over a period of more than a hundred years, so volumes vary in format or dates of publication. Because Mugar receives the revision volume by volume, the library may not yet have a particular part. Mugar does have the entire first version
(Mugar Reference X PF3625 G7 1854a)
(Mugar Reference X PF3625 F65)
(Mugar Reference X PF3625 .P4 1992)

Etymologisches Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 1963. Better known by the name of its editor, the "Kluge" is the standard one-volume etymological German dictionary. The index at the end organizes words by their origins, both geographic and subject (e.g., "Tamil" or "Tiere").
(Mugar Reference X PF3580 F63)

Mittelhochdeutsches Taschenwörterbuch. 1966. The thirty-second edition of Lexer's dictionary offers brief definitions and parts of speech for the literary language of the German Middle Ages (ca. 1150 AD). Occasionally it will offer a cross-reference or an indication that the word comes from a different root (i.e., Latin). The supplement found in the back of the volume contains more entries.
(Mugar Reference X PF4327 F66)

Idiom/Proverbs/Quotations

English-German Dictionary of Idioms. 1997. To discover the German equivalent of English idiomatic expressions, look up a keyword in the phrase. The dictionary gives the German for that word, and the common expressions in which it is used.
(Mugar Reference X PF3460 S343 1997)

Duden, Redewendungen und Sprichwörtliche Redensarten: Wörterbuch der deutschen Idiomatik. 1992. This is the eleventh volume in the Duden series; it covers idioms. For each of the 10,000 entries, definitions and usage are given. Cross-references are available when appropriate.
(Mugar X PF3460 D74 1992)

Pons Wörterbuch der deutschen Umgangssprache. 1987. This dictionary of colloquial German provides detailed information. For each term, in addition to a definition, the dates and locations where it was first used are provided. (Mugar Reference X PF5991 K85 1987)

Manuals of Grammar/Stylistics/Pronunciation

Hammer's German Grammar and Usage. 1997. The third edition of this standard work endeavors to provide information about modern German grammar to modern English speakers. There are emphases on non-technical vocabulary and on explaining general grammatical concepts. Several helpful tables are given, and there is a useful chapter on spelling and punctuation.
(Mugar Reference X PF3112 D77 1997)

A Practical Dictionary of German Usage. 1996. Beaton's dictionary seeks to assist English speakers "who have progressed beyond the initial stages of learning the language" in clarifying cases when an English word means more than any one German equivalent (vii). It is organized alphabetically, and each English word is given a long entry, which explicates thoroughly the meaning and context of German equivalents. There are two useful indices, one of English and the other of German terms.
(Mugar Reference X PF3640 B35 1996)

Duden Stilwörterbuch der deutschen Sprache. 1988. This second volume of the Duden series is a guide to correct usage and a good general-purpose aid for German composition. It demonstrates the proper use of words in sentences and provides synonyms.
(Mugar Reference X PF3628 D835 1988)

Duden, Richtiges und gutes Deutsch: Wörterbuch der sprachlichen Zweifelsfälle. 1997. The ninth Duden includes the recent changes to German writing. The resource is organized in dictionary form, and is intended to provide answers to questions about usuage difficulties involving specific words or terms.
(Mugar Reference X PF3460 D77 1997)

Lexikon deutscher Präpositionen. 1990. This volume contains an alphabetical listing of German prepositions. For each preposition, copious usage notes (in German) are given and examples are provided (the entry for "auf" takes twelve pages). For those interested in the linguistics, a brief bibliography is included. This resource is intended for teachers of German and/or those familiar with linguistics.
(Mugar Reference X PF3335 S34 1990)

Lexikon deutscher Präpositionen. 1990.This volume contains an alphabetical listing of German prepositions. For each preposition, copious usage notes (in German) are given and examples are provided (the entry for "auf" takes twelve pages). For those interested in the linguistics, a brief bibliography is included. This resource is intended for teachers of German and/or those familiar with linguistics.
(Mugar Reference X PF3335 S34 1990)

Guides to literary terms/theories/characters/plots

Der Schauspielführer. 1953. The first two volumes of this set cover Das deutsche Schauspiel vom Mittelalter bis zum Expressionismus and Das deutsche Schauspiel der Gegenwart respectively. Organized chronologically, they offer plot summaries of "classic" German drama.
(Mugar Reference X PN6112.5 F53)

Der Romanführer. 1953. Volumes one and two cover Der Inhalt der deutschen Romane und Novellen vom Barock bis zum Naturalismus, while volumes three through five cover Der Inhalt der deutschen Romane und Novellen der Gegenwart. Olbrich's plot summaries of German literature are organized alphabetically by author, and then by title.
(Mugar Reference X PN44 F50)

Literary Theory: An Introduction. 1996. Terry Eagleton gives an excellent summary and explanation of the wealth of literary theories which have appeared in the last century. He provides some background and intellectual history, showing inter-relationships between theoretical camps. There is also a good bibliography.
(Mugar PN94 E2 1996)

Cyclopedia of Literary Characters. 1963. This source offers the names of over 16,000 characters in 1,300 literary works. International in scope, it does have lengthy and informative descriptions of noteworthy German literary characters. It is arranged alphabetically by literary work, with a character index in the back.
(Mugar Reference X PN44 F63)

Themes & Motifs in Western Literature: A Handbook. 1987. This is a guide to important elements commonly appearing in literature. It includes character traits, myths, themes, motifs and images. Several textual examples and references to scholarly studies are given for each theme/motif.
(Mugar Reference X PN43 D34 1987)

Histories of the language/linguistics

Dtv-Atlas zur deutschen Sprache: Tafeln u. Texte. 1978. In one small volume, the geographic and historical trends of the German language are displayed in both text and illustrations. Subjects, names and the topics of the many maps are indexed.
(Mugar Reference X PF3777 K64)

German, a linguistic history to 1945. 1981. This is a good one-volume treatment of German linguistics. In addition to a general bibliography at the end of the book, each chapter concludes with a bibliography.
(Mugar PF3075 W43 1985)

The Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics. 1994. These ten volumes contain articles on central linguistic themes, their related concepts and relationships with other disciplines. They intend to be authoritative, comprehensive and international in scope. There is an alphabetic list of the articles; the longer entries are signed and followed by bibliographies.
(Mugar Reference X P29 E48 1994)

International Encyclopedia of Linguistics. 2003. The goal of this source is to present articles on the full range of linguistic disciplines (applied, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, etc.), their inter-relationships, and intersections with other disciplines. It provides a detailed index and a language list. The signed essays are followed by bibliographies.
(Mugar Reference X P29 I58 1992)

Guides to authors/histories of literature

General

The Oxford Companion to German Literature. 1997. The third edition of this reference source is a handbook which attempts to be representative and includes "every period of the literature of each German speaking country" (ix). The Companion is not intended to be used as a full-scale, comprehensive encyclopedia; however, longer articles have a small bibliography. The focus of the book is on individual authors and works, rather than on terms.
(Mugar Reference X PT41 G3 1997)

A Companion to German Literature. 1997. Unlike the previous source, Sagarra and Skrine's Companion consists of long thematic essays (organized chronologically), followed by a selection of short biographical entries and concluding with a general index. "Literary Germany" includes German-language writings from all territories contained in the Holy Roman Empire, German Confederation, Austrian Empire, and Second Empire (maps are provided).
(Mugar Reference X PT236 S55 1997)

Geschichte der deutschen Literatur: Kontinuität und Veränderung vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. 1987-.
Each chronological period is covered by a series of essays on important topics; each chronological section has its own table of contents and bibliography. The end of each of the three volumes contains name and title indices.
(Mugar PT85 G458 1987)

Metzler Autorenlexikon: Deutschsprachige Dichter und Schriftsteller vom Mittelalter bis zur Gegenwart. 1986.
Long signed essays make up this one-volume bio-bibliography. Each essay commences with a picture of the author and his or her dates, and concludes with a very brief bibliography of works about the author. An author index is included at the end of the volume.
(Mugar Reference X PT41 M48 1986)

Deutsches Literatur-Lexikon: biographisches und bibliographisches Handbuch. 1968-present.
The newest edition Kosch's multi-volume set contains only entries for authors. Nineteen volumes (A through Sternaux) have been published to date. A modicum of bibliographical material is included at the end of the entries. The set is enhanced by a supplement, which contains articles not included in the original volumes.
(Mugar Reference X Z2230 F68)

Lexikon deutschsprachiger Schriftsteller von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. 1987.
These two volumes of author biography contain unsigned entries followed by bibliographical information on the author's works. The first volume covers ...von den Anfängen bis zum Ausgang des 19. Jahrhunderts and the second 20. Jahrhundert.
(Mugar X PT155 L44 1987)

By Century

17.: Deutsche Dichter des 17. Jahrhunderts: Ihr Leben und Werk. 1984.
Extensive articles on selected writers from the 17th century are included in this volume. For each article, a bibliography of primary and secondary works is included. The volume concludes with a detailed timeline and an index.
(Mugar PT273 D48 1984)

18.: Deutsche Dichter des 18. Jahrhunderts: Ihr Leben und Werk. 1977.
The foreword to this volume of extensive articles on selected 18th century authors serves as an overview of the period; an additional panorama is given by the detailed timeline in the back of the volume. Each article concludes with a bibliography of primary and secondary works. An index is at the end of the volume.
(Mugar PT287 D4)

19.: Deutsche Dichter des 19. Jahrhunderts: Ihr Leben und Werk. 1969.
Selected authors of the 19th century are covered in the long essays in this volume. Each essay concludes with a bibliography of primary and secondary works.
(Mugar PT343 F69)

20.: A Companion to Twentieth-Century German Literature. 1997.
The second edition of Furness and Humble's source gives brief bio-bibliographical entries for the authors it includes. Since it was published post-reunification, it makes an effort to include writers from the former East Germany. Unfortunately, there is no index.
(Mugar Reference X Z 2230 C65 1997)

20.: Autorenlexikon deutschsprachiger Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts. 1988.
Branneck's one-volume work contains a short article on each author. It also includes bibliographical references to the author's work, and a concluding bibliography of general criticism arranged by subject.
(Mugar Reference X PT401 A98 1988)

Women

Women Writers of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: An Annotated Bio-Bibliographical Guide. 1989.
185 authors are included in this volume. Each writer gets a short biographical note, followed by a listing of her works. Several of the listed works are annotated with information about the plot. At the end of the book are lists of the authors, first chronologically and then by country. There is also a brief bibliography of secondary literature and translated titles. An index to titles of the works appearing in the volume is also included.
(Mugar Reference X Z2233.5 W6 W66 1989)

Women Writers in German-Speaking Countries: A Bio-Bibliographical Critical Sourcebook. 1998.
The editors of this volume used Women Writers of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland: An Annotated Bio-Bibliographical Guide as the base for selecting authors to be included. This source contains long signed chapters on fifty-four women authors (arranged alphabetically) from the tenth century to the present. Each article includes a section on textual analysis. There is a selected bibliography, as well as name, subject and title indices.
(Mugar Reference X Z2233.5 W6 W65 1998)

Deutsche Literatur von Frauen. 1988.
Volume one covers "Vom Mittelalter bis zum Ende des 18. Jahrhunderts" and volume two "19. und 20. Jahrhundert." They consist of a series of long signed essays on various aspects of German women's writing. Each volume concludes with a bibliography, name index, and information about the essayists.
(Mugar Reference X PT167 D48 1988)

Die deutschsprachigen Schriftstellerinnen des 18. und 19. Jahrhunderts: Ein Lexikon. 1981
The entries in this book are short, consisting of the author's name, dates, a very brief (often one-sentence) biography, and references to further information in standard biographical sources. The locations of primary sources and manuscripts of these authors are also briefly noted. The volume ends with a bibliography, a list of pseudonyms and an index.
(Mugar PT41 F7 )

Facing fascism and confronting the past: German women writers from Weimar to the present.
Historical criticism of German women authors, as well as fascism in literature.
(Mugar PT405 F295 2000)

Selected bibliographies

Bibliographie linguistique de l'année...-Linguistic Bibliography for the Year.... 1948 - 2000.
Although slow to arrive (it can take up to three years to compile), the bilingual bibliography can be quite useful. It organizes records as "general," related to linguistics, or by language. There is an index of authors, reviewers, editors, and people who are the subject of articles.
(Mugar Reference X Z7001 B53)

Bibliographie der deutschen Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaft. 1970-present.
Known as "Eppelsheimer," this set continues the Bibliographie der deutschen Literaturwissenschaft (1957-1970). It is the primary bibliographic index of primary and secondary sources for German literature, with good coverage of linguistics as well. It includes references to bibliographies, reports, editions, letters and biographies. Each volume is organized by subject; the subjects are arranged chronologically.
(Mugar Reference X Z2231 F57)

Germanistik. 1980-present.
This German studies source provides coverage of recently published literary and philological material. Selected items are reviewed. International in scope, since it is organized by subject and then chronologically, the table of contents and annual index of names and authors are very helpful.
(Mugar Reference X Z2235 A2 G4)

Internationale Bibliographie der Zeitschriftenliteratur aus allen Gebieten des Wissens.-International Bibliography of Periodical Literature covering all Fields of Knowledge.-Bibliographie internationale de la littérature périodique dans tous les domaines de la connaissance. 1963-present.
This source is organized by subject, with subject words given in German, French and English; there is also an author index. Book reviews are also indexed here.
(Mugar Reference X AI9 F65)

Internationale Bibliographie der Rezensionen wissenschaftlicher Literatur.-International Bibliography of Book Reviews of Scholarly Literature.-Bibliographie internationale des recensions de la littérature savante. 1971-present. This useful index to book reviews is organized by author of the work being reviewed. There is also an index to the titles of the works reviewed, the reviewers, subjects, and periodicals.
(Mugar Reference X Z5051 I64)

Ich hatte einst ein schönes Vaterland: Deutsche Literatur im Exil, 1933-1945: Eine Auswahlbibliographie. 1984.
This bibliography, organized alphabetically by author, lists authors (not all literary), their date of birth and date of emigration from Germany, and their writings between 1933 and 1945. Re-editions and translations of their works into German are also given. The editor provides a long introduction to the topic. In conclusion, he offers an essay on the reintegration of these authors into post-war Germany. There is also a small bibliography of secondary literature, and an index.
(Mugar Reference X Z2233.5 E42 W44 1985)

Databases and Internet Sources

Databases

Arts & Humanities Citation Index. 1988-present.
MLA Bibliography 1963-present.
Humanities Index. 1984-present.
JSTOR
FRANCIS (International social sciences and humanities)
LLBA (Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts)
LION: Literature Online
Luthers Werke
MLA Bibliography (Modern Language Association) 1926+
Oxford Reference Online (German dictionary)
Readers Guide Full Text (and Retrospective 1890 - 1982)

Internet Sources

WESS German Studies Page
German Dissertations - from Johns Hopkins University
HELVITICAT the on-line Swiss national library catalogue, contains over a million records
Bayerische StaatsBibliothek From the Bavarian State Library
Schweizerische Landesbibliothek-Bibliothèque nationale suisse
Intute: arts & humanities - tool for discovering the best Internet resources for education and research
German Electronic Textbook from the College of William and Mary- grammar and pronunciation
Wörterbuch - Intended for German students. Over 140,000 translations, including slang and idioms
Digitized German periodicals - Primarily 19th century, in various disciplines. Some are Open Access