Der Wehrwolf


Der Wehrwolf is a novel by journalist Hermann Löns, first published in 1910.

Plot summary

The Thirty Years' War is at its height and the peasantry suffers under countless marauders, which roam the lands. The protagonist Harm Wulf, a peasant, already lost his family in the first years of war and becomes the defending Wulf by defending a hill fort and its surrounding carr, where some local peasants hide from the pillaging hordes. Harm Wulf gathers more and more allies until 121 men are in the Alliance of the Wehrwolf. When peace is finally restored Harm Wulf is an old and grim man.

Reception

Although already published in 1910, Der Wehrwolf became a bestseller three decades later in Nazi Germany. It was widely used for the purposes of Nazi propaganda because its content could be interpreted as nationalistic fervor. Near the end of the Second World War, young Luftwaffenhelfers and children in the Hitler Youth were encouraged to read the novel to promote guerrilla warfare against the Allies. Because of this, the book was indexed for a short time after the war.