Jena 1800: The Republic of Free Spirits

A brilliant review of the German Romanticism movement of1800, and the philosophers such as Fichte, Hegel, Schiller, Goethe, Holderlien, and many more. As well as a picturesque view of the town of Jena.

The book is ... ok. But if you really want to read about those people, try Magnificent Rebels by Andrea Wulf. This one is "easier" but there is simply no comparison.

see above

I was really looking forward to reading this book, especially based on the reviews. I'm pretty widely read in history of Napoleonic/early Romantic Germany and it's rare to find new works in English on this. But it was very disappointing to find that this is very light and basically fiction- the author should have just written a novel. Here's an example from the text:"Just recently she [Caroline] had heard two women chatting at the market while she was trying on a wide-brimmed hat. (It looked good on her; Schelling was sure to be pleased.) She watched the two women out of the corner of eye as she gazed in the mirror and saw them pointing their fingers at her behind her back." Now this might be ok if the author pulled this anecdote from a memoir or a letter - but if so, it's not listed in the notes.And there are other examples of this, statements like: "Sprawled out on the sofa, he heard Fritz go downstairs..." " He didn't want to let on what he knew..." "Caroline could hardly believe it... For perhaps the first time in her life, she felt that this would be forever." Basically, fiction, like bad romance novel without the sex. Don't buy this if you expect historical scholarship. I wish I hadn't.

I would bet that most present day Americans have much, if any, knowledge of the people featured in this book. Certainly Goethe, maybe Shiller, doubtful Novalis, Schelling, Schlegel, and Tieck.While Peter Neumann has a command of his material and writes well, I don't think he gives his non-expert reader enough information on the people he features in this tale about the German college town of Jena during a most creative period.It also reminds me of the truth uttered by Dr. Johnson's friend about his not becoming a philosopher because he found he was too cheerful.