In this book, Juliane Fiedler examines the formation of the German nation through the lens of German-language literature since 1848. The work highlights, on one hand, the attitudes of the authors considered towards German nationalism and their sometimes ambivalent national loyalty. On the other hand, it investigates how the authors themselves contributed to a national self-understanding by referencing and reflecting on collective and identity-forming aspects in their texts. Since Swiss and Austrian authors in the 19th century still referred to a German cultural space that constituted part of their national identity, their involvement in the formation of the German nation is evident.