"The most fabulous thing in the world" – this Schopenhauer quote ironically reflects the various facets of concepts and representations of death in German literature. Through a selection of key literary texts, ranging from Johannes von Tepl's "Der Ackermann und der Tod" from the early 15th century to Bernhard Schlink's "Der Vorleser" in the present, the question is explored of how each era or individual writers depict death. As expected, they do so in different ways: philosophically, religiously, spiritually, transcendentally, aesthetically, or realistically. While this does not intend to create a narrative centered on the central motif of death in German literature, the authors from different eras contribute to an interpretation of death that resembles an integral history of German literature.