Christian Essellen's Babylon
By: edited, and with introduction by Cora Lee Nollendorfs.
Contributors: Nollendorfs, Cora Lee, 1941-
Series: German life and civilization,; v. 19
Publisher: P. Lang; Lang AG International Academic Publishers, Peter
Published: 1996
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng; ger
Number of pages: 184
Subjects: Germany -- History -- Revolution, 1848-1849 -- Poetry.
Description: Babylon by Christian Essellen (1823-1859), a "lost" dramatic poem by an obscure author, is a unique representation of the revolutions of 1848-1849. A participant in and historian of the events, Essellen emigrated to the U.S. in 1852, where he spent the last years of his life. Babylon, probably written in 1850 or 1851, appeared in serialized form in 1853 in the weekly newspaper issues of Essellen's periodical Atlantis, few of which have been preserved.

Firmly in the German literary tradition, the work includes characters from Greek mythology, Petrarch, Shakespeare, and Goethe, as well as various historical figures; it ends in an apocalyptic vision of the future. This edition of Babylon is presented with a biographical assessment of Essellen's life and contribution.
Notes: Introd. and notes in English; text in German.
Includes bibliographical references.