Unifying Germany...in an Artistic Way.

 

To set the scene: 

As you can see, pre-unification of Germany, the map is somewhat of a "hot mess" (for lack of a better term).  Sporadic chunks of land are ruled and occupied by various groups.

       The Germans had several challenges as they traveled the rocky road of unification.  While divided into many groups, the Germans did not have a strong central force to keep unified, nor did they always want to be.  Further, the German land had been taken over by forces, including the French under Napoleon’s rule.  While Napoleon caused a significant amount of trouble for the surrounding countries and land, without him, Germany would not likely be the country they are today. 

(Napoleon, pictured above, was the initiating force for war and political unrest across Europe.) 
    The birth of Germany can be attributed to many actions from surrounding powers and people.  Aside from Napoleon’s impact, there was a great amount of French influence while Louis XIV tried to take over a great amount of land that would expand his rule (71).  While the French had a presence that impacted many of the actions that Germans took, the Germans seemed to bond together and unify due to the actions that the French were taking.  Though, the Germans did not always want to be in a unified country because it felt restrictive or as if the people could be uprooted against their wishes in a free land.

The Liberal Arts are demonstrated through the German's love and general unification through art. 
    I found the initial unification of Germany inspiring.  Hagen mentions on page 91 that the “German nation was born in the minds of the intelligentsia as a cultural entity without direct ties to politics.”  This shows that the underlying bond of the Germans came from what draws people together: commonalities.  Without a great amount of research, my observations show that politics tend to tear more people and groups apart than unify.  Further, beyond the sciences and math, I see the arts as an exemplary place to demonstrate intelligence.  This, from a liberal arts student, may not come as a surprise.  The arts have an amazing way of expressing knowledge, opinions, and inspiring conversation.  And, Martin Luther was a huge proponent of the Liberal Arts in education, providing an even more solid foundation for the Germans to use their skills.  Sometimes, this spark of attention and opinion is all that is needed to bring a group together.  This can be seen throughout Germany’s story of unification.  Later, it is said in the Hagen text that the Germans were “powerless, but intellectually supreme” (91).  Without a grand political presence or military set-up, the Germans had the knowledge to remain a competitive presence on the map.  I believe that by developing their unification in an artistic, rather than power-based or political fashion, Germany set a standard of how they would be perceived in the future.  I also believe that this has impacted Germany today as being rich in culture through art, architecture, food, and spirit.  I am certain that these attributes will come to life in our travel throughout Germany. 

Our good friend Martin Luther peeks back into this issue through his influence of the Liberal Arts, and how the arts influenced many German people to speak their opinions.  

Many influential German artists from various times included (L-R) Johann Wolfgang, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Immanuel Kant. 
    On page 107 of Hagen’s text, we read that Central Europe was fragmented, but held together by the Deutscher Bund, or the German Confederation.  This unification was based on a “secular descendent of the Holy Roman Empire”.  That means that the unification was based off of a religious intention or group.  Though, while bringing people together, the German people were given opportunities to develop their own opinions.  While remaining an artistically based group, the Germans found their voice through public opinion.  The liberal opinions of the residents became organized into governmental representatives that later were able to spread the peoples’ opinions.  Hagen discusses on page 118 that, “Political unrest mounted again in Germany...After the events in 1830 the authorities managed to gain the upper hand again, but the mere fact that most German states now had representative assemblies whose liberal delegates could speak and publish freely without fear of punishment made it impossible to control public opinion.”  Hagen continues on the same page mentioning that liberal opposition gained vast numbers of new supporters.  The growing support brought Germany together and provided another reason to unify with a common goal and intention. 

    While I find it inspiring how and why the German lands united, I also see the flaws of how the group came together.  In the end, the Germans officially unified due to the need for a political presence.  The unification allowed for Germans to have a voice in what they wanted and, quite frankly, living in an oppressed society would not last for those who had a voice to be heard.  

Word Count: 704 + annotations.

All images taken from google.images.com