Examines the literature produced from the very beginnings of what became the GDR through the 1950s, redressing a tendency of literary scholarship to focus on the later GDR.

Introduction: Reconstructing East German Literature
In the Zone, 1945
Brecht and the Battle of the Spirits, 1949
German Culture's Will to Power, 1949-50
Fascinating Fascists, 1949-50
Typical Heroes, 1951-53
The Danger of Optimism, 1953
The Worst of Times, 1956-58
Literature for Adults, 1956-59
Conclusion
Selected Bibliography
Index