Description

This volume supplements existing histories of German by concentrating on contemporary evaluations of the language through the various stages of its evolution. Initially, in the 8th century, it is regarded as barbaric and unsuitable either for praising God or for the creation of poetry. In the High Middle Ages, German then models itself on foreign examples and advances first to the status of a national language and later to international standing. The efforts at conscious cultivation of the language culminate in the Classical period. The Romantics recognise the potential it has for sound effects and emotional expressiveness, Realism explores its potential for the portrayal of reality. From the 19th century onwards, there is an emphasis on the preservation of the language in all its beauty and purity. All those interested in language and the German language in particular will find in this volume a carefully documented historical foundation for the discussion of the >dignity and genius< of German.