Die Kraft der Schwachen [The Strength of the Weak] ranks among the most interesting works of the older Anna Seghers. In 1947, the famous author had returned from her Mexican exile to East Berlin, with vigor and enthusiasm, to help build an anti-fascist, democratic, and socialist Germany. While writing this cycle, she experienced a crisis in her perceived mission. Originally intended for the ensemble were three additional narratives, held back by her, and only recently issued in the Anna Seghers Werkausgabe, II/5 (2007). Most notable among these is “Der gerechte Richter” [“The Righteous Judge”]. The author kept the manuscript in a file marked: “Important! Re-work!” First released by the Anna-Seghers-Archive in 1990, it depicts official coercion in a post-war socialist country. A young judge dares to resist corrupt state functionaries, instead acting true to the...
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Citation: Brandes, Ute. "Die Kraft der Schwachen". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 August 2011 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=33498, accessed 13 December 2025.]
