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Nina Riedler

General and comparative literature, Anglistics, Philosophy
Duisburg-Essen University

A New Conception of Man for Europe? The Renaissance Revival in European Literature at the Turn of the Century (1900) 
Nina Riedler studied comparative literature, English literature and philosophy at Duisburg-Essen University. She received her M.A. in comparative literature with the thesis „Fascination of the Other. Isabelle Eberhardt and Thomas Edward Lawrence“. Study and language visits in England, USA and Turkey. Reviewer of the journal "Medienwissenschaften". Member of the Graduate School of the Humanism Project since April 2006.

Dissertation    Publications   

Dissertation

A New Conception of Man for Europe? The Renaissance Revival in European Literature at the Turn of the Century (1900) 
(Supervised by Prof. Dr. Bernhard Buschendorf, Duisburg-Essen University)
In European literature between 1870 and 1914, the Italian Renaissance becomes a popular topic again. It comes into view in two ways: Firstly, in the form of certain historical characters and events, e.g. Cesar Borgia or Savonarola. Secondly, characters fashioned after the image of Renaissance man as described by Burckhardt appear in a contemporary context: protagonists showing a fascinating mix of traits such as physical and intellectual strength combined with passion and aesthetic refinement, ambition and cruelty seemingly without regrets.
The success of the Renaissance motive is indicative for a common frame of reference that sees the Renaissance, or the image construed of it in the late 19th century, as a solution for a acute problem: how to save the self, particularly the artist’s self in the age of mass production and mass society by way of establishing exclusiveness, an aristocracy of mind. Therefore, we find in most literary works an extremely individualistic approach: self-perfection as the priority in life, regardless of morals and conventions.