In the paper we present the possibilities of treating the historical period with the help of historical fiction, taking not only historical encyclopaedic data but also a literary text as a starting point, which is discussed on the level of content and language. In doing so, the didactic model TILKA (Mikolič, 2016a) is implemented, which proposes the simultaneous teaching of language and literature in J1 and J2, combining elements of intercultural education and education for non-violent communication, and in connection with broad objectives also promotes interdisciplinary work as a form of work connection. The model is based on the theoretical insights of the communication and constructivist approach, the theory of keywords (culture) and the concepts of transactional analysis. The starting point for the discussion is authentic material, and artistic and non-artistic texts provide opportunities to discuss current issues in modern society. Starting from a topic related to the immediate environment of the individual, we can move on to socially relevant topics on a national and international level and through an intercultural perspective – and the topic of war is certainly one of these topics. We will present a content outline for dealing with the Second World War period in Slovenia based on four selected war novels from central Slovenia, Štajerska region and abroad: To noč sem jo videl (2010) by Drago Jančar, Opoldne zaplešejo škornji (2011) by Zdenko Kodrič, Nekropola (1967, 2012) by Boris Pahor and Angel pozabe (2011, 2014) by Maja Haderlap. In looking at these works, we are interested in the significance of literary genre for the function of the text, the reflection of the zeitgeist through the expression of resistance, and the ideological level of the text as well as the historical dimension of the selected literature.
