Sacramento daily record-union., 1881-09-24
Written for the RscoRD-Usros.I
GERMAN LIT RATURE.
a BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW OF THE
LITERATURE OF GERMANY.
It's Great Divisions = Its Monuments =
Schiller-Goethe-H
Mohl-Wieland.

From Ignorance. But there Is KIND OF
narrow. mindedness and ignorance which is
curious to behold, because, while we look
for it among the common or ilhterate
people, we find it among those who lay
claim to a higher education, and sometimes
even among prominent educators them
selves We find it among that class OF
people who form what is called the better
society, as well as among the lower grades
of humanity And what is it {? 1t is an
exclusive selfshness extending not only to
their own persons, but to their own coun-
try and race. 1t is petty jealousy for
everything coming from abroad in the way
of progress or culture. 1t is in fact a dis
regard of self-culture.
OF course this applies to a certain class
of individuals, but we find them largely
represented in every country in the world.
Speak to them Of the moral advancement
of foreign nation and you will awaken
their scorn and envy, or perhaps they will
consider you bad patriot as if the desire
to obtain useful information had anything
to do with patriotism. Does any sensible
person doubt that it would benefit people
in the interior OF Europe to be acquainted
with English literature and to read good
English authors Certainly not. Yet
there are but few of those having leisure
and facilities for self culture who feel an
interest in foreign literature or care any
thing about it. These people, however,
should remember that literature is the
faithful mirror of the spirit and the genius
of nation, represented by its noblest and
most elevated minds.
As each individual forms an integrant
part of nation, and helps to shape its des-
tiny, so does each nation form link in the
chain of the nations of the world, and can
not abstain from taking an active part,
without being left behind in the race for
civilization. And to do this it must be
informed of the doings of the rest of the
world
German literature, from its very an
tiquity and richness of material, requires
in its treatment lengthy and elaborate
discussion, for which space as well as ca
pacity forbid a present attempt. Let us
confine ourselves, therefore, to brief out
line of its general features. Among the
Hteratures of all countries the German pre-
sents the remarkable and unique example
of possessing two classical periods. 1t is
the only one which, after having passed
the three stages Of infancy, maturity and
golden era, and after having declined dur
ing certain period, has again assembled the
pinnacle of literary glory. The assertion
has often been made that German htera-
ture, notwithstanding such men as Klop-
stock, Lessing, Schiller and Goethe, has
become what it is through the influence
exerted upon the German spirit by such
men as Corneille, Voltaire, Milton, Shake
speare, Dante and Tasso but the fact is
that Germany possessed classical literature
long before any of her neighbors. Nearly
n thousand years back German literature
began to grow, and its first classical period
was, in many respects, equal if not superior
to the present.
German literature is generally divided
into three great divisions and seven peri
ods. The first division embraces the oldest
time between the fourth and the twelfth
century the second division the time be-
tween the twelfth century and the begin
ming of the seventeenth and the last
division from the seventeenth century to
the present day.
The first literary monument in existence
is the translation of the Bible by Bishop
Ulfla at the beginning of the fourth
century. The semi-barbarons state of
European society, outside of the Roman
empire, did not permit rapid literary
progress in Germany any more than else
where and so it was that the first centuries
after Ul6la's time were marked only by
coarse war.songs and a few traditions and
fables. After the migration of races, and
up to the Middle Ages, however, epic
poetry, minstrelsy and popular songs had
increased considerably.
During the sixth, seventh and eighth
centuries the deeds and adventures of
heroes were sung in the halls of kings and
princes, and many legends were kept and
treasured up in monasteries. -Four prin-
cipal traditions were afterwards united in
one grand, heroic song, called the song OF
"Nibelungen" which speaks about those
times. The Germans call it their '' Had. :"
This song furnished the material for the
great dramatic play which Richard Wag-
ner, the celebrated composer, inaugurated
a short time ago. In the eighth century
Charles the Great fostered the arts and
sciences ne was the founder of the pala-
tine academy, the first of the Christian era.
He called around him the learned men of
all countries and he admired learning in
Others to such an extent that he gave his
daughter Emma in marriage to his scribe
Eginhart
During the succeeding centuries roman
tic. legendary and court poetry had their
sway alternately. Heretofore the whole
periods had been wrestling of paganism
against Christianism Though Christian
,ka ,,ff co
early as the beginning of the fourth CEN
tury. it is only from the twelfth century
that a harmonious reunion of the national
German spirit with the Christian spirit
took place. Christian spirit having pene-
trated the national spirit, produced new
era in German literature. This period may
be called the first classical period, or the
time of the first national epos of Germany.
It embraces the period between the end of
the twelfth century and the beginning Of
the fourteenth.
It was really the epos of art. Aside
from the progress in romantic and chlval-
rous poetry, which were brought to their
highest bloom, prose had also made rapid
strides. The legends of Roland and Arthur,
coming originally from France, were clothed
in elegant style and forms. Antic poetry and
tales OF Grecian origin were remodeled,
and religious legends were added to histor-
ical poems and the worlds chronicle.
During that period what may be called, for
want Of better expression, the animal
epos, or tales and fables about the animal
kingdom, took prominent part in German
literature. Among others the fable of
Reineke Fuchs (Fex) has been conserved to
the present day. But the brightest pro-
duction of lyrical art in those times was
the so.called g Mime, or Love Poetry" a
term whose real significance can hardly be
rendered in any other language. The prin-
cipal poets of that epoch were Henry Won
Veldeke, Wolfram Won Eschenbach, Wal
ther Won der Vogelweide, Hermann Won
Au. Conrad von Wuertzburg, etc. In the
next two centuries poetry and art suffered
decided decline. The delicate, heartfelt,
pure and ideal mime poetry made
room for an inferior and coarser one
It lost the patronage of princes and noble
II fau into fha hands of the nopo.