Visions of Philhellenism in the Poetry of Wilhelm von Humboldt: Between Historical Analysis and Idealized Modernity

Wilhelm von Humboldt is one of Germany‘s most prominent graecophiles. His poems — despite their artistic mediocrity — reveal Humboldt’s reflections on the course of history, as well as the connection between the idea of Bildung and his visions for the German nation. His lyric poetry can be seen as belonging to the tradition of an idealistic view of history found also in works by Schiller and Herder. Based on Winckelmann’s image of classical Greece, Humboldt develops a distinct, political view of history, combining his fascination for ‘Hellas’, a critique of ancient Rome and modern France, and ideas about the national future of Germany.