Originally published in Dublin University Magazine (William Curry Jun. and Company) vol.1 #3 (Mar 1833).
During the last month we were much gratified by a course of Lectures which Herr Zander of Berlin, delivered on the Belles Lettres of Germany. The history of the intellectual developement of a nation—incontestibly the most literary in existence—and an account of the principal authors, and the peculiarities of their style and mode of thinking, could not fail to be highly interesting, especially, as these subjects were to be illustrated by a native who is so much better qualified to enter into the peculiar spirit of the writers of every age, than any foreigner. We, therefore, had raised our expectations rather high, yet find great pleasure in saying, that Herr Zander has not only justified, but far surpassed them. The manner in which he connected the rise and decline of literature with political events, and the critical views he took of the authors were highly interesting, and, to a great extent, entirely novel.
The following is an abstract of these Lectures:—
Lecture I.—German Language, its origin and various dialects—The age before Charlemagne— Ulphilas—Charlemagne and his merits about German literature—Influence of the intermarriages between the Imperial Houses of Germany and Constantinople—During the Crusades, German Poetry rises to its greatest height; Minnesingers; their Lyrics.
Lecture II.—Epic Romances of the Minnesingers; their subjects derived partly from foreign, partly from native Legends: Developement of the origin and history of the four principal Legends and their branches; Poems formed upon them—Foundation of the first German Universities—The political state of Germany causes the decline of national Poetry—Master Singers; the rules and regulations of their poetical trade—Wars of the Swiss against the Austrians and Burgundians call forth a number of patriotic bards, amongst whom Veit Weber, the Swiss Tyrtaeus—Prevailing taste for Satire; several great Satirical Poems—The new-invented Letter-press early gains vast influence—Luther's literary merits, resting not only on his numerous writings, but also on his vast influence upon all Germany—The exasperated spirit between Protestants and Catholics, injurious to Poetry, more beneficial to Prose—Intense Classical studies—With the beginning of the 17th Century dawn of a better age of Literature: Opitz fixes German Prosody: First Silesian School—Abraham a Sancta Clara's Sermons—Second Silesian School—Sad influence of French taste and French literature—I8th Century, new Schools founded by Bodmer and Godsched.
Lecture III.—Modern German Literature—Influence of the seven year's war—Hagedorn—Haller's Odes and Elegiac Poems—Gellert's Fablesand Narratives—Influence of Young's Night-thoughts: Klopstock, his life;—religion, friendship, and love to his country form the threefold impulse of his genius; several characters of his Messiah reviewed; his Odes rank far above the Messiah—Herder's life, character, genius, and works, illustrated: Jean Paul's opinion of him.
Lecture 1V,—Lessing, an universal Scholar tears the French tragedians from the throne they had usurped, which he claims for Shakspeare; his merits about the Drama and his influence upon all modern German Dramatists: his Plays; Analysis of Emilia Galotti, a tragedy; his Laocoon; his Polemical writings—Winkelmann has entered more profoundly into the arts of antiquity than any modern inquirer—Wieland, his philosophy, his taste, and tact; his humour; Goethe's opinion of him; analysis of Oberon interwoven with specimens—Account of the Poetical Society of the Grove, formed at Göttingen in 1772: Amiable character of Hölty and extracts from some of his letters. Great merits of the Counts Stolberg Bürger's Genius—Jung Stilling's writings of an original mystic character, directed against Atheism—Short review of the writings of Tiedge, Matthison, and Salis (living Poets.)
Lecture V.—Jean Paul Friedrich Richter, the most original of German writers; his genius and style, combining the pathetic with the humorous; extracts from his work; his celebrated Dream in Siebenkäs—Schiller, the most beloved author of the Germans; his Lyrics and Ballads; his Dramatic Genius, more of an epic-romantic, than purely tragic character: analysis of Wallenstein, a tragic trilogy, and the characters of Wallenstein and Piccolomini: Kotzebue's talents, his merits and demerits—Goethe's original views of nature and philosophy; his humour.
Lecture VI.—State of Weimar before and after the year 1800—General character of Goethe's Works; his Götz von Berlichingen and its influence upon Sir Walter Scott. Real tendency of Werther's Sorrows. Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, a manual of experience of the world, and knowledge of man, of philosophy and critics, not written for a superficial reader; original views of the character of Hamlet; Mignon's character. Faust, very little understood, vindicated against the charges of blasphemy, deism and unchristian tendency; the pro-prologue in heaven not understood by the English translators; examination of the characters of Faust, Mephistopheles, and Margaret.
The Destiny-Tragedians; Müllner, his views of the tragedy; the lay of his Guilt.
Lecture V1I.—Destiny-tragedians continued; Grillparzer, the lay of his Ahnfrau—Merits of Raupach's Dramatic compositions; Schulze's Caecilia and the Enchanted Rose, two of the best epic romances of the Germans—Körner, the German Tyrtaeus; his life and death; his unequalled war-songs; his tragedies; Zriny analyzed; his Rosamunde—Observations on the study of the German language.
From the foregoing brief sketch, to which the Lecturer did most ample justice in detail, by imparting to every portion of his subject, the greatest possible interest, a fair estimate may readily be made of his capabilities which we have no hesitation in pronouncing to be of the highest order. A German Professorship has been established in their Institution by the enterprising inhabitants of Belfast, whose exertions in the advancement of literature in all its branches have been, we are happy to say, as successful in their result as they were eminently laudable in their design. We should lose no opportunity of entering the lists of noble emulation with their spirited societies, but encourage as far as it is possible such able Professors of Continental literature as come to sojourn amongst us. The Works of German authors have been but little understood here as yet, and of course but imperfectly appreciated. We trust sincerely that the public lectures, which we understand it is Herr Zander's intention to deliver from time to time, so admirably adapted to remedy the deficiencies of a mere superficial knowledge upon a subject so important, may meet with such a reception as from the talent and industry displayed in their style and arrangement we firmly believe them entitled to.