German life writing in the twentieth century Introduction: the purposes and problems of German life writing in the twentieth century Roger Woods Life writing and writing lives: ego documents in historical perspective Mary Fulbrook From Erlebnis to Erinnerung: rereading soldiers letters and photographs from the First World War Holger Brohm From the physiognomy of the Great War to the dangerous moment: Ernst Junger photography autobiography and modernity J. J. Long Persuasive illusions of the self: Albert Speers life writing and public discourse about Germanys Nazi past Magnus Brechtken The shoah before the shoah: the literary technique of allusion in Elias Canettis autobiography Anne Peiter Ich schame mich meiner augen (Im ashamed of my eyes): photography and autobiographical identities in Grete Weils Leb ich denn wenn andere leben Joanne Sayner Mich in variationen erzahlen : Gunter Grass and the ethics of autobiography Rebecca Braun Voyeurism autobiographies by children of the perpetrators: Niklas Franks Der Vater: Eine abrechnung (1987) and Meine deutsche mutter (2005) Birgit Dahlke Dismembering the past remembering the self: an interrogation of disability narratives by Luise Habel and Christa Reinig Pauline Eyre Schicht um schicht the evolution of Fred Wanders life writing project in the GDR era and beyond Dennis Tate Thought patterns and explanatory strategies in the life writing of high ranking GDR party officials after the wende Ute Hirsekorn Ein reines phantasieprodukt or hostile biography  Gunter de Bruyns Vierzig jahre and the Stasi files Sara Jones