Bismarck in Literature
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- Bismarck in literature Landsberg, Helene Laura https://iro.uiowa.edu/discovery/delivery/01IOWA_INST:ResearchRepository/12730504950002771?l#13730718380002771 Landsberg, H. L. (2013). Bismarck in literature [University of Iowa]. https://doi.org/10.17077/etd.kqxkj9tc https://iro.uiowa.edu PDM V1.0 Material in the public domain. No restrictions on use. Downloaded on 2021/09/24 11:37:37 -0500 - B I S M A R C K I N L I T E R A T U R E . À T h e s is submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the State University of Iowa in partial fulfillm ent of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Arts. -b y - Helene Laura Landsberg. State University of Iowa. 1913. O U T L I N E . I. Introduction. II. A Short Biography. III. The Relation of the Literary Bismarck to the P olitical Bismarck. IV. The Literary Influences on Bismarck. V. Bismarck’s In fluence on Literature. VI. Bismarck in literature. V I I . Resume’’ and C o n c lu s io n . Otto von Bismarck: " 'So ein Mann is t ein Triumph der Mensch heit, er ist mehr wert, als ein ganzes Reich.' Man kam auch von ihm wie von einem grossen Dichter sagen: 'Er is t immer da, so wie Homer, Shakespeare und Goethe immer da sind.’ " Franz von Lenbach. Boeht lin g k,- Bismarck und Shakespeare - y. 149. 1. lüxSODUCTIOU. It is not only the German nation hut the world in general which is learning to appreciate the great man of "blood and iron" more and more through the publication of his lite ra ry productions, and the ever increasing extensive literature created through the influence of the latter. It w ill ever remain true that great men w ill always he more loved and appre ciated when known from th e ir human .side of life . Thus, it happened that Hesekiel’s book, " Count B is marck, " 1869, aroused greater interest than previous works because it gave to the world besides the his toric facts, which every one knew, Bismarck letters of a fam iliar character. Kohl has said of these: "Der Kann von Kisen und B lut, der durch seinen Kampf mit dem Abgeorönetenhause um die bedrohten B.echte der preussischen Krone zum bestgehassten Kanne in Preussen geworden war, durch seine staunenerregenden Krfolge axif den Gebiete der auesseren P o litik der Welt bewiesen hatte, dasz er ernst zu nehmen sei erschien in diesen B riefen an die Gattin und an die Schwester als ein lie ben« vnierdiger Kensch, der mit den Proehlichen zu lachen, mit den Traurigen zu we inen bereit war, der fuer ITatur 2. \ind Fusik su schwaerraen, durch packende Schilderung von Land and Leute zu fesseln, mit den feinen Humor des geistvollen Planderers seine Briefe zu wuerzen und mit scharfgespitzten und doch nicht verletzender Satire die Schwaechen seiner Mitmenschen zu geiszeln verstand. Lazu gah sich Graf ^ismarck in diese Briefen als einen S tilisten kund, der die deutsche Sprache in lessing- is'fcher und foethischer Klarheit redete und durch die schlichte ITaturlichkeit der Form den Ausdruch Schoen- heit und Kraft verliehe. Lie Verlagsbuch-Handlung kam im Jahre 1875 dem allgemeinen Verlangen nach einer Sonderausgabe nach, die im laufe von 15 Jahren fuenf starke Auflagen erlebt und in.vielen Tausenden von Ex emplaren als ein bevorzugtes Seschenk in deutsche Haeuser ihren Einzug gehalten hat. Las nusland nahm d-'ese 1 riefe als eine w ertvolle Bereicherung der ’Veit- literature auf; sie wurden ins Franzoesiche, Englische und nieder'-lanndische ueborsetzt und auch in fremder Zunge gern gelesen. Kein Zweifel, dasz ein guter Teil der Liebe, die das deutsche Volk fuer seinen Bismarck fuohlt, auf die Rechnung dieser Briefe zu setzen is t. Bismarck war nach dem gewaltigen Erfolgen der sechziger Jahre den meisten ein Uebermensch, dem man nur m it 3 . ehrer-bietiger Furcht zu nahen wagte; dass er mensch lic h zu fxiehlen und die Sprache des Herzens zu reden verstand, dass er ein treuer und fuersorgender Satte und Vater, ein liebevoller und liebenswuerdiger Bruder, ein Freund seiner Freundeund zu der. allen eine tie f- '■inperliche religioese ITatur wt* r, das lernte die \7elt erst aus diesen Briefen kennen. nenn das Terenzische homo sum, humani n ih il a me alienum puto, das Fuerst Bismarck selbst als Hotto fuer die Gesanntausgabe seiner politischen Reden ausgewaehlt hat, g ilt auch fuer seine B r i e f e . " * Besides his love for literature, and his literary tendencies, Bismarck was inclined toward literature through inheritance. The Bismarcks were skilfu l in handling both the sword and the pen. The names of several Bismarcks are immortal in German lite ra tu re ; among them the Prince's great-grandmother, several other ladies, and his grandfather, who was the most famous w riter of the fam ily and whose works were trans lated into several languages. From the latter Bis marck is supposed to have inherited his lite ra ry talents. He not only made use of these talents, but he cultivated * Kohl, - Bismarckbr-iefe, Vorwort zur sechsten Auflage. E d. V I I I . 4 . his taste for literature. Possessing an active tem perament, S chiller and Shakespeare appealed to him, and in his productions we find that he chose his quo tations chiefly frotn these poets of action. He was a great admirer and student of Shakespeare, and is called Germany's Shakespeare-pam. Thus it may he that when he answered his country's call, Arthur Boehtlingk is right in saying; "Yiie, wenp. Otto von Bismarck dor erste gewesen sein sollte, der das Beug gshabt haotte, den 'U ill of a ll G ills ' nicht .nach-zudicht er* sondern nach-'zuleben?Lies das Geheimnis seine: immer wachsenden Groesse waere? Las Verstaendnis des einen an wirksamsten durch dar: Verstaendnis des anderen gefoerdert wuerde?"* Be that as it nay, for if literature is the lasting expression in words of the meaning of life , the Bismarck literature certainly lives and w ill continue to live. * Bismarck's letters to his wife from Frankfurt and Hungary are the finest literature of their tine, and his speeches are pronounced excellent. "They contain more quotable sayings, and have enriched the speech of Ger many w ith more quotations, than the spoken words of any * Boehtlingk,- Bismarck und Shakespeare,- Vorwort.I • v i. 5. German since Luther."* What is true of Bismarck's letters and speeches is also true of his other contributions to literature, such as his "Table-Talk," and his "Reflections and Reminiscences." In his Table-Talk, we obtain glimpses of the celebrated stateman - the greatest doer of his time, in fam iliar intercourse with his friends, to whom he unbosoms him self on men and things in general. This "talk possesses a charm far superior to that of the greatest masters of art - such as Luther, Goethe, Johnson, or Coleridge."** As to the "Gedankcn und Er inner unge'n" we find that Bismarck wrote these and dictated them after his retirement from office in 1890. He spent some years at this task and to-day they serve as a precious inher itance for the German nation. In studying the lite ra ry works of the great man, we find it probable that he may be considered a master of the G< rman epistolary style, and the most important representative of modern eloquence. His creative power has enriched the German language and by the application of this betterment, he has developed the art of letter * Smith,- Bismarck and German Unity. - p. 95. ** Lowe,- Eismarck's Table-Talk. - Preface iv. 6. w riting and oratory. Thus, to quote Philipp Stein: "Was hei Lebzeiten Otto v. Bismarcks seinen Oeit-genossen, seinen M it- % kaempfrrn und Gegenkaempfern fast unnoeglich gewesen — richtige Listanz zu gewinnen zu dieser gewaltigen, uebcrrag- enden Persoenlichkeit, zu diesen ’Schicksalsmenschen der deutschen Geschichte' - das beginnt jetzt almaehlich sich anzubahnen. Und immer mehr wird darum auch in b is her vielfach noch.widerstrebenden Kreisen anerkannt werden, dasz wir in Bismarck nicht nur den sieghaften Kann der Tat zu feiern haben sondern dasz wir in ihn auch einen Klassi ker der deutschen Prosa des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts be s it z e n " * * Stein,- Bisnarck Brevier - Ireface I, K II. 7 . A' SHORT BIOGRAPHY. In A pril 1885, there was held at Berlin, in connection with the festivitie s in honor of Bis marck’s seventieth birthday, an Exhibition of a ll the known, that is attainable, products of art and literature on the subject of his career. Among the exhibits was an album belonging to the German national Museum, which contained in Bismarck’s own handwriting the following characteristic summary of his life and triu m p h s : "Leopold Edward Otto von Bismarck, born at Schoenhausen, in the- Altmark, A pril 1, 1815. "Member of the United Prussian Landtag, 1847. "Royal Prussian Envoy to the German bundestag, 1851. "Ambassador to the Imperial Court of Russia, 1859. "Ambassador to the Imperial Court of France, 18C2. "Royal Prussian M inister of State, September 25, in th e same y e a r. "Chancellor of the Forth German Confederation, 18G7. "Chancellor of the German Empire, 1871. "Fort unda nec regitur."* Since the great Chancellor's lite ra ry tastes and * Lowe, - Bismarck's Table-Talk - Chronology - .p. v. 8 . litera ry a b ilitie s were so closely interwoven with the p o litica l, we cannot avoid mentioning some of the varied ab ilitie s, capabilities and characteristics which he po ssessed . , It seemed as though it were ordained by Providence that one of the wisest and best talkers of modern times should make his appearance in the world just as Uapoleon was preparing to make his last appearance on the world's stage at Waterloo.