Homo Faber by Max Friš is one of the most important and most read books of the 20th century: engineer Valter Faber believes in his rational view of the world, which is permanently shattered by a 'love story'.
In Boll's novels, one of the central themes is the attempt to preserve basic moral values in a time of terror, as well as in a period of material prosperity and corruption.
"Razbojnici" (1781.), prva drama Friedricha Schillera, ključno je djelo njemačkog Sturm und Drang pokreta, koje istražuje teme slobode, pravde, moralnog sukoba i pobune protiv društvenih normi.