Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self

4645 Reservoir Road NW,Washington DC 20007

21 September, 2022

Description

We are delighted to welcome you back to the German Embassy for a presentation by award-winning author Andrea Wulf, who will present her just-published book ‘Magnificent Rebels’ on the German Romantics, including their influence on American thought and culture. ABOUT MAGNIFICENT REBELS: “From the best-selling author of ‘The Invention of Nature’ comes an exhilarating story about a remarkable group of rebels who changed the way we think about the world and ourselves. Forget Paris… the real Revolution in the 1790s happened in Jena, a quiet German university town where the unlikely revolutionaries were not soldiers or politicians but poets and playwrights (Goethe, Schiller and Novalis), philosophers (Fichte, Schelling and Hegel), literary critics (the contentious Schlegel brothers) and scientists (Alexander von Humboldt). And at their heart was the formidable and free-spirited Caroline Schlegel. In ‘Magnificent Rebels’, Andrea Wulf takes us on a vivid journey through the Jena Set’s adventures and misadventures, passionate love affairs and epic quarrels, successes and heartbreak. We are still empowered by their daring leap into the self today. The French revolutionaries may have changed the political landscape, but these young Romantics incited a revolution of the mind that shaped our modern world.” *Please note that masks are required for all attendees during the event unless actively eating or drinking.