The Small Enlightenment in Prussia and German States

The Enlightenment was an expansive intellectual, philosophical, cultural, and social movement that spread throughout much of Europe during the 1700s. The Enlightenment was largely made possible by the Scientific Revolution which began in the 1500s and represented the biggest departure from The Middle Ages. After millenniums of obedience to the Church people started to break away from a long spell of ignorance and began to question ideas relating to society and nature. A period also known as ‘The Age of Reason’ saw the emergence of intellectuals advancing knowledge unlike ever before. What resulted were pivotal discoveries in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, physics, politics, economics, philosophy, music, and medicine that shaped the Western world for decades and centuries to come. While The Enlightenment didn’t help produce a revolutionary outcome such as in France, Prussia and German states still experienced a fair share of intellectual development during this time. Since Germany was divided into a multitude of smaller states, with different languages and influences, The Enlightenment didn’t have a full blown effect. Moreover, the combination of popular discontent with the Church and a fury of dissatisfaction among the nobility and middle class such as in France wasn’t entirely present in Prussia. Nonetheless, Frederick II the Great, the King of Prussia, borrowed ideas from other parts of Europe in an attempt to modernize his country unaware of the changes already occurring within. During this time period intellectuals such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Johann Gottfried von Herder, and Friedrich Schiller were at the heart of the cultural and literary movement called Weimar Classicalism. Works by Herder and company helped to promote and legitimize a German language and culture that would one day develop into German nationalism. German music came of age under composers Johann Sebastian Bach, Joseph Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. All of whom, along other important composers, revolutionized orchestral music as we know it during what is known as the Classical Period. Immanuel Kant is famous for coming up with his own school of thought out of the blue. Kant created a line of thinking breaking norms in idealism, reality, and morality that have since been heavily borrowed by other major German philosophers long after his death. In time the German Enlightenment won the support of both the hierarchy and middle class and enduringly shaped German culture. Research on The German Enlightenment is fairly extensive since there were numerous breakthroughs. In reference to secondary sources, Daniel Heartz 2009 text Mozart, Haydn, and early Beethoven 1781-1802 provides a complete overview of the achievements made by three important composers during the Classical Period and the transition period into the Romantic Period; as well as their trendsetting influences on German culture and music. Biographically, David Fraser’s 2001 text Frederick the Great: King of Prussia gives insight into the profile of one of German history’s most notable leaders. Fraser’s account will contain useful material on Frederick’s role in the formation of The Small German Enlightenment. However there is a concern that the text will be more focused on Frederick’s military endeavors, while information on the Enlightenment period might be brushed over. Which is why John Gagliardo’s 1991 text: Germany under the Old Regime: 1600-1790 might prove quite useful. The timeframe will allow more proper focus on the period of interest. Another text that shows promise is Richard van Dülmen’s 1992 text The Society of The Enlightenment: The Rise of the Middle Class and Enlightenment Culture in Germany. This text focuses on the social environment of ideas during the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries of German history. Interestingly enough in contains information from language societies to the Masonic lodges, from the reading circles to secret societies. Since The Enlightenment was alive and well during the boom of the book industry the publication of primary sources are readily available. For instance, Immanuel Kant’s 1784 What is Enlightenment? and 1787 Critique of Pure Reason essays, are both excellent resources available to read and understand first-hand the ideas and thoughts of one of German’s most prominent philosophers. Also, popular published poems by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, and other notable poets and writers during the Weimar Classicalism are available online. Examination of such pieces should give valuable insight into the style of poetry that emerged. However one difficulty is adequately understanding the symbolism inside cumbersome old English translated poems. Lastly, the huge online availability of music by composers such as Mozart, Bach and others from the Classical Period is convenient. Again properly understanding the ascetic differences between older generational orchestral composition and that of the Classical Era may be difficult for the untrained ear. Luckily the topic at hand contains a vast repertoire in many fields as can be seen. The Enlightenment period was a time when people started to defy the church and the state and search for their own ideas and answers to life. Better described in Immanuel Kant’s words, “Enlightenment is man’s leaving his self-caused immaturity…Sapere Aude! (Dare to be Wise) Have the courage to use your own intelligence! Is therefore the motto of the enlightenment…” (What is Enlightenment 1784) The cultural movement swept almost all of Europe as intellectuals, philosophers, mathematicians, writers, musicians, and even royalty alike became inspired by the awe of a new age. It was an age of reckoning, an age of self-expression, an age of curiosity and intellectual exploration. The movement shaped Prussian and German history in more ways than one. Furthermore some scholars argue that it created the foundation for a future German nation.

Bibliography
Heartz, Daniel. Mozart, Haydn, and early Beethoven, 1781-1802. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008.
MacDonogh , Giles . Frederick the Great: A Life in Deed and Letters . Great Britain : St. Martin's Griffin , 2001.
Gagliardo, John G. . Germany Under the Old Regime, 1600-1790. New York: Longman , 1991.
Simon, Richter. The Literature of Weimar Classicism. Rocheter, NY: Camden House, 2005.
Van Dulmen, Richard. The Society of the Enlightenment: The Rise of the Middle Class and Enlightenment Culture in Germany. Cambridge: Polity Press, 1992.
Owens, Samantha. Music at German Courts, 1715-1760: Changing Artistic Priorities. Woodbridge, UK: The Boydell Press, 2011.
Immanuel, Kant. "What is Enlighenment." http://www.saylor.org/site/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/What-is-Enlightenment.pdf (accessed February 13, 2013).
Immanuel, Kant. "The Critique of Pure Reason." http://www2.hn.psu.edu/faculty/jmanis/kant/critique-pure-reason6x9.pdf (accessed February 13, 2013).