The ‘Golden Fifties’ and the ‘tide of immorality’: Wolfgang Koeppen’s Tauben im Gras

Abstract

English: The struggles West Germans and African-Americans faced during the early post- World War II years of economic prosperity (the “Golden Fifties”)1 were compounded by confused ideologies concerning morality, sexuality and racism (“the tide of immorality”).2 This article provides an overview of the socio-historical background of the setting of Wolfgang Koeppen’s novel, in order to illustrate the findings with regard to the social and moral difficulties that arose from the American occupation of West Germany.Afrikaans: Die moeilikhede ondervind deur Wes-Duitsers en Afro-Amerikaners gedurende die vroë jare van ekonomiese vooruitgang na die Tweede Wêreldoorlog (die “Goue Vyftigs”) was vererger deur ideologiese verwarring met betrekking tot moraliteit, seksualiteit en rassisme (die “vloedgolf van sedeloosheid”). ’n Oorsig van die sosiohistoriese agtergrond van die milieu van Wolfgang Koeppen se roman word gegee om bevindings te illustreer met betrekking tot die sosiale en morele struikelblokke wat onstaan het as gevolg van die Amerikaanse besetting van Wes-Duitsland.