Nationalism versus Cosmopolitanism in German Thought and Culture 1789-1914. Essays on the Emergence of Europe

This collection of essays by scholars of international repute explores a particular
polarity within 19th-century German thought: that of nationhood and European
identity. Two factors were fundamental to the book’s conception: firstly, the
recognition that perceptions of German nationhood have been a crucial factor
within European consciousness since long before the existence of Germany as a
unified State, and, secondly, an acknowledgement that bitter memories of the
two World Wars of the 20
th
century have sometimes obscured the record of
Germany’s vast contribution to European cultural and intellectual history.
Stereotypes drawn from such a legacy have fostered suspicion of German
support for the idea of closer European integration and cooperation. For
example, the evils of 20
th
-century German nationalism are still frequently
emphasized in the UK while comparatively little attention is given to the long
historical tradition of German commitment to the idea of Europe as, essentially,
cultural and political diversity-in-unity.
At the beginning of the 21
st
century, crucial tensions still characterize the dual
consciousness of national and European identity. This volume seeks to promote
understanding of the historical origins and development of such tensions as
expressed in the work of some of the most significant writers, theorists, and
artists of the 19
th
century and across a broad spectrum of literature, music,
philosophy, political criticism, art and architecture. The book also explores
French and British reactions, both negative and positive, to German ideas of
nationhood and European identity. As a history of ideas, it takes a multidisciplinary
approach. Its unique contribution stems from this approach which
maximises the variety and range of scholarship brought to bear on the topic and
provides the reader with a broader intellectual and historical context than would
otherwise be possible