Although Reinhard Goering produced only a slim oeuvre consisting of some poetry, one novel, several short prose pieces, and eight published plays, he occupies an important place in German literature. Among his works, it is mainly his first play, Seeschlacht (published, 1917; performed, 1918; translated as Naval Encounter , 1969), and his last, Die Südpolexpedition des Kapitäns Scott (Captain Scott's Expedition to the South Pole, published, 1929; performed, 1930), on which his reputation rests. The former is considered one of the most important expressionist dramas dealing with World War I; the latter is counted among the outstanding dramatic examples of Die Neue Sachlichkeit (The New Objectivity).

Since the two plays did not conform to the aesthetic style prescribed by the National Socialists and since both dealt with the theme of defeat, they disappeared from the German stage from 1933 to 1945. Goering's work was reprinted after 1945, and some of his plays were...