Literature

German. German poetry has had two periods in which it has attained special excellence. The first extends from the beginning of the twelfth century to the middle of the thirteenth. The other from the middle of the eighteenth through the first quarter of the nineteenth. To the first of these periods belong the famous Nibelungen Lied--the great folkepic of Germany--the epic of Gudrun, and the songs of the Minnesingers. The songs and ballads composing the Nibelungen Lied belong to a much earlier period, but were first collected and arranged in definite form during the twelfth century. Beside the Nibelungen Lied, only one poem, a fragment of a heroic song, called Hildebrand's Lied, has come down to us from earlier times. By the middle of the thirteenth century, the poetry of the Minnesingers began to decline. By almost imperceptible gradations, it shades into the more formal, but less beautiful, poetry of the Meistersingers, which reached its height in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The development of the drama began as early as the thirteenth century with the mysteries and miracle plays so popular throughout Europe. The important work in prose up to the time of Luther was done by monks, among whom the names of Tauler and Thomas a Kempis are to be noted.

The foundation of universities and the invention of printing prepared the way for the German Reformation, which, with Martin Luther and his translation of the Bible, marks the beginning of what may be called the second period of German literature. Next to Luther himself, Melancthon had, probably, the greatest influence upon the literature of this time. In poetry the name of Hans Sachs is prominent, but the best poetry of the period is found in the hymns of Luther and others which, through the influence of the great reformer, came into daily use among the people. Paul Fleming is another name worthy of note as a poet of this period. He wrote hymns notable for sincerity of feeling and simplicity of style.

The third period of German literature begins with the beginning of the eighteenth century and includes, with the exception of Luther, the names of the most famous men of the nation. The departments in which the greatest excellence has been attained are philosophy, the drama, and poetry. Separate articles are given to the philosophers, Kant, Fichte, Schopenhauer, Hegel, Schelling; to the great dramatists, Schiller, Lessing and Goethe; and to the more important among the other poets. Schiller, and Goethe are the greatest names among poets. Heine is noted especially for his lyrics; Klopstock for his epic, the Messias; Wieland, Herder, the Schlegels, Arndt, Jean Paul, and Uhland are also important in this second "period of bloom" of German poetry. Goethe, Schiller, and Lessing wrote prose as well as poetry. Lessing, Gottsched, and the Schlegels were influential as critics. In the line of fiction, of history, and in miscellaneous writings, long lists of names appear which go to make up a literature which does not fall short when ranked with the greatest in the world.