His early work centered on the influence of Rilke on music but later focused on the works of Goethe (especially Faust), Hesse, Kafka, Mann, Brecht. More recently he has helped to understand the influence of Protestantism on Germany directly after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
His research initially focused on the impact of Rilke on music. Later, his work expanded to include Goethe (especially Faust), Hesse, Kafka, Mann, and Brecht. More recently, he has been involved in understanding the influence of Protestantism on Germany after the fall of the Berlin Wall.