Culture and Global Domination (II)


In the 19th century, Germany became one of the greatest centers of world culture. This coincided with the political unification of the German states and the proclamation of the German Empire in 1871. The Germans, like the ancient Romans, seemed to have centuries of prosperity and glory ahead of them. Their philosophy, poetry, music, art, science, architecture – were admired by all Europeans. Who doesn’t know about the eccentric King Ludwig of Bavaria and his magnificent and mysterious Neuschwanstein castle? Bavaria under Ludwig was a very rare example of a state founded by a king who was a patron of music, architecture, and art.

 It was a country made for pleasure, not war. The king was inspired by the Bavarian nature and Wagner’s stunning symphonies. “Imagination creates reality” – Richard Wagner used to say. But other German states also sought to compete with the “Bavarian dreamer”. Berlin was called Athens on the Spree from the 1840s, and Dresden in Saxony acquired the name of “Florence on the Elbe.” These cities were recognized centers of European culture. The Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, or “gate of peace”, commemorated the victory over Napoleon himself. Now these names have very different associations.