Modernity has attempted to sever all ties to aesthetic tradition. According to Umberto Eco, the postmodern response to this attempt lies in the realization that the past cannot be destroyed, as its destruction leads to silence. Therefore, the past must be approached in new ways, with irony and without innocence. And what genre would be better suited for this than the historical novel? This study demonstrates how postmodern historical novels by Eco, Süskind, Hildesheimer, and Ransmayr creatively and ironically utilize the aesthetic and historical past. It also shows that in this process, history serves the narrative—not the other way around. The study examines the historical context, stylistics, form, and conception of history in the novels to highlight similarities and differences.