Europe? That is an invention of poets, Heinrich Mann said, referring to a relationship which has existed for centuries: the relationship between European literature and Europe as its theme. Empire, civilization, United States, regulatory force or peace project - especially in the 19th and 20th centuries the most diverse ideas of Europe were formulated and discussed in literary works. From their exemplary analysis of the works of nine authors, the study develops an understanding of the special relationship between literature and Europe.