Plutarch in Germany: The Stefan GeorgeKreis

Abstract

Plutarch’s place in the classical tradition is usually considered as a Renaissance or Early Modern phenomenon, seldom as one extending into the twentieth century. Germany illustrates this perception as exemplified in the celebrated works of Schiller, Holderlin, and Goethe. Yet Plutarch also influenced later generations in Germany as elsewhere. This is seen in the case of the poet Stefan George and his circle, the so-calledGeorgekreis. Familiar with the Plutarchan legacy, George impressed the style and technique of Plutarch upon his circle. The biographies of Friedrich Gundolf (Caesar) and Ernst Kantorowicz (Kaiser Friedrich der Zweite) demonstrate Plutarch’s continuing impact. Complementing these modern lives are the ideas of George himself as well as other modern thinkers, particularly Friedrich Nietzsche.