The Influence of History on the Role of the Poet in Novalis' 'Heinrich von Ofterdingen'

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Seminar paper from the year 1973 in the subject German Studies - Modern German Literature, language: English, abstract: Novalis, as Friedrich von Hardenberg called himself, saw the significance of history for the present in his works. This essay discusses Novalis' idea of the unity of past and present, as seen in his work "Heinrich von Ofterdingen." I am especially interested in how Novalis demonstrates the unity of past and present in his novel. In the character of Heinrich, there is a unique example of understanding not limited by temporal existence. Knowledge of the past influences his development as a poet. The converse is also true. Novalis was a universal figure of the early Romantic period in German literature. His interests encompassed poetry, philosophy and science.

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