Im Westen nichts Neues
The defining anti-war novel and the clearest entry point into Remarque's treatment of war and the lost generation.
Author guide
Erich Maria Remarque Books in Order
Erich Maria Remarque (1898–1970), born Erich Paul Remark in Osnabrück, was a German novelist whose experience as a soldier in the First World War shaped his major anti-war fiction. His novels address war, political violence, displacement, persecution, exile, memory, and the struggle to preserve individual dignity. He lived in European exile and later in the United States and Switzerland. His best-known novel, Im Westen nichts Neues, became an international landmark of twentieth-century pacifist literature.
anti-war literaturewar fictionexile literaturehistorical fictionshort storiesessayspoetryplays
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
Arc de Triomphe
A major, self-contained exile novel that introduces Remarque's recurring concerns with persecution, statelessness, and moral choice.
Die Nacht von Lissabon
A concise, mature exile novel centered on memory, identity, flight, and the lasting effects of fascism.
Read in order
Books by series
trilogy · complete
Erster-Weltkrieg-Trilogie
Remarque's planned trilogy about the First World War and its impact on the lost generation.
- 1 Im Westen nichts Neues
Book 1 · novel · 1928
Einer unserer Besten: der Weltbestseller der Anti-Kriegsliteratur»Man hat den Menschen gesagt: Du darfst nicht töten. Aber man hat ihnen auch gesagt: Du mußt gut zielen, damit Du triffst.«Erich Maria RemarqueErich Maria Remarques…
- 2 Der Weg zurück
Book 2 · novel · 1930
Ende 1918 kehrt eine Handvoll Soldaten von der Westfront zurück. Doch statt der einstigen Kriegsbegeisterung schlägt ihnen nur noch Verachtung entgegen … Die Fortsetzung des Welterfolgs Im Westen nichts Neues . »Große Ausdruckskraft,…
- 3 Drei Kameraden
Book 3 · novel · 1936
thematic sequence · complete
Exilromane
A thematic sequence of novels about persecution, flight, statelessness, and exile under National Socialism.
- 1 Liebe Deinen Nächsten
Book 1 · novel · 1939
- 2 Arc de Triomphe
Book 2 · novel · 1945
It is 1939. Despite a law banning him from performing surgery, Ravic—a German doctor and refugee living in Paris—has been treating some of the city’s most elite citizens for two years on the behalf of two less-than-skillful French…
- 3 Die Nacht von Lissabon
Book 3 · novel · 1961
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (9)
- Die Traumbude. Ein Künstlerroman
novel · 1920
- Gam
novel · 1998
- Station am Horizont
novel · 1927
- Der Funke Leben
novel · 1952
- Zeit zu leben und Zeit zu sterben
novel · 1954
- Der schwarze Obelisk
novel · 1956
- Der Himmel kennt keine Günstlinge
novel · 1959
- Schatten im Paradies
novel · 1971
- Das gelobte Land
unfinished novel · 1998
Short fiction (1)
- Der Feind. Erzählungen
short-story-collection · 1993
Plays (1)
- Die letzte Station
play · 1956
Posthumous collections (1)
- Das unbekannte Werk: Frühe Prosa, Werke aus dem Nachlass, Briefe und Tagebücher
posthumous collection · 1998
Frequently asked questions about Erich Maria Remarque
Who was Erich Maria Remarque?
Erich Maria Remarque was a German-born novelist, journalist, and pacifist best known for anti-war literature. He was born in Osnabrück in 1898 and died in Locarno, Switzerland, in 1970.
Sources: encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net (opens in a new tab)encyclopedia.ushmm.org (opens in a new tab)
What was Erich Maria Remarque’s real name, and why did he use that name?
He was born Erich Paul Remark. In the early 1920s, he adopted “Erich Maria Remarque,” replacing his middle name with Maria and using the French spelling of his surname as a literary name.
Sources: remarque.de (opens in a new tab)encyclopedia.ushmm.org (opens in a new tab)
How did World War I influence Erich Maria Remarque’s writing?
Remarque was drafted into the German army, served on the Western Front, and was wounded in 1917. These experiences, including the loss of comrades, inspired his anti-war fiction and shaped his later writing about war, persecution, and exile.
Sources: encyclopedia.ushmm.org (opens in a new tab)encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net (opens in a new tab)
Why was All Quiet on the Western Front controversial and banned?
Its stark, pacifist depiction of World War I challenged nationalist and militarist ideas about heroic sacrifice. Nazi authorities and conservative nationalists denounced Remarque’s work; his books were burned in 1933, and his German citizenship was revoked in 1938.
Sources: encyclopedia.ushmm.org (opens in a new tab)dhm.de (opens in a new tab)
What awards and honors did Erich Maria Remarque receive?
Remarque received Osnabrück’s Justus Möser Medal in 1964, the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1967, and election as a corresponding member of the German Academy for Language and Poetry in 1968. His legacy is also commemorated by Osnabrück’s biennial Erich Maria Remarque Peace Prize, established in 1991.
Sources: remarque.de (opens in a new tab)friedensstadt.osnabrueck.de (opens in a new tab)