Gotthold Ephraim Lessing and his work have been contributing to the canon of German-language literature since the latter half of the 19th Century. Higher education institutions have played a prominent role in the enthronement of the author within the literary canon and thus also within cultural memory. That said, due to the problematic accessibility and quality of the sources available, little attention has been paid to the reception and mediation of literature within the educational field up to now. On the basis of different types of school-specific documents such as school curricula - which have, up to now, been proven difficult to access -, this volume is the first ever to deal, from comparative perspectives, with different aspects concerning the way in which G. E. Lessing is presented in German lessons at higher education institutions.