Fifteen years after unification contemporary German discourse is witnessing an upsurge of family stories about the long afterlife of the National Socialist era. Exploring this rediscovery of family origins and traditions, Phantoms of War in Contemporary German Literature, Films and Discourse examines and tests the fashionable concepts of generation and genealogy. The author develops an original theory of family narratives, a category situated at the intersection of public and private discourse. Asking why the disturbance of tradition remains an agitated topic, Fuchs offers in-depth interpretations of major works by established and newer authors. Offering a provocative contribution to German identity debates, these literary explorations are set in dialogue with films and museum discourse. In a field of study which is constantly moving, Phantoms of War in Contemporary German Literature, Films and Discourse charts a detailed topography of the changing politics of memory in today's Germany. This thought-provoking book is essential reading for students and scholars in various disciplines, ranging from German Literary and Historical Studies to Cultural Memory and Film Studies.