History 332: German History

History 332: German History

A Nietzsche Timeline

1844

Friedrich Nietzsche born

Father is Lutheran pastor. Father and mother are deeply conservative; FN is named after Prussian King Frederick William IV. FN will have a sister, Elizabeth; and a brother, Joseph (who dies as a child)

1849

FN’s father dies

FN grows up surrounded by very conservative, very religious women, in a very conservative era, in which obedience and conformity are the most important virtues.

1850s

FN attends elite prep. school, Schulpforta

FN is an outstanding student – intellectually curious; very focused & hard-working; a very quick learning; an astonishing memory. He’s good at everything – he especially likes languages

1864

FN at University of Bonn; later Leipzig

FN is now an outstanding university student. Focuses on the Classics – Greek & Roman language and literature (this is called “classical philology”).

1868

FN – now 24, meets Richard Wagner and is swept away!

Wagner is THE great celebrity in central Europe. Wagner eagerly builds a clique of disciples; he searches for the “brightest and best.” FN already has a reputation as one of the brightest university students in Central Europe, and Wagner is eager to have him as a disciple.

1869

FN is only 25, but already, several universities want him on their faculty. He goes to the University of Basel.

The world of “classics” is quite small; all the classics professors know each other and boast to each other about their best students. In the small world of “classics,” FN quickly becomes one of the most talked about “up and coming” students.

1870

FN – now 26 – volunteers to serve as a medical corpsman in the Prussian Army during the Franco-Prussian War

FN is infected with some extremely toxic disease, most like syphilis, though possibly something else. He had always suffered from migraine headaches, blurry vision, and nausea; now these symptoms gradually become worse.

1872

FN – at 28 – publishes his first book, The Birth of Tragedy.

A study of Greek tragedy, this book goes well beyond narrow “Classical Studies.” FN is interested especially in the philosophical claims made in the Greek tragedies. He’s especially interested in the inter-play between the Spirit of Reason (Apollo) and the Spirit of Passion (Dionysius).

1873-1875

FN writes Untimely Meditations

FN experiments with style – he tries writing in aphorisms, that is, very short units (some only a sentence in length). More and more he writes social commentary; he writes about politics, education, and philosophy.

1876

FN – at 32 – leaves the university, and tries to make a living as a writer.

Given all his health problems, FN can’t both teach and write. He tries to make a living as a writer, but it’s very difficult. He’s constantly plagued by money problems.

1878

Human – All Too Human

Dedicated to the “Memory of Voltaire,” this book. Written largely in aphorisms, this book launches FN’s criticism of Christianity; anti-Semitism, and Wagner.

1881

Dawn

Focus on Christianity; develops his ideas about “Will” and the “Will to Power.”

1882

FN meets Lou Salomé

Salomé is one of the great characters of the era. Brilliant, she is a key figure among the poets, philosophers, and writers of her time. Friends with FN, she also is close to Sigmund Freud, and the great poet Rainer Rilke.

1882

The Gay Science

A crucial text, FN develops themes that will be central to his thought – the Death of God; the Eternal Recurrence; the Will to Power.

1885

Thus Spake Zarathustra

FN’s most remarkable book. Written like a kind of “bible,” this book expresses all of FN’s central themes, in a powerful, symbolic, and often passionate way.

1886

Beyond Good & Evil

Back to his favorite aphoristic style (though now the aphorisms are sometimes several pages long), this book focuses on the need to “Re-Evaluate all Values.”

1887

On the Genealogy of Morals

Another call to “Re-Evaluate all Values.”

1888

The Case of Wagner

Wagner had died in 1883; FN had broken with him long before. Here, FN denounces Wagner as a tremendously talented artist, who was everything an artist shouldn’t be.

FN’s health is awful. He’s only 44, but his migraines, nausea, blurry vision, and other aliments are getting worse.

1888

The Twilight of the Idols

A vehement assault on German culture, this book attacks just about everyone. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes outrageous and unfair.

1888

The Anti-Christ

The third great book of this year, a vociferous criticism of both Christianity, and German culture.

1888

Ecce Homo

In the fourth book of the year, FN again discusses the Űbermensch

1888

Nietzsche contra Wagner

In the amazing fifth (!) book of the year – it’s as if FN has to rush out with everything he can think of before it’s too late – FN takes a final shot at Wagner.

1889

In Turin, Italy, FN collapses. Ill, he’s also very disoriented.

His sister and mother place him in a mental hospital.

1889-1900

In a mental hospital, FN is not a “raving lunatic!” Most of the time, he’s soft-spoken and mild-mannered, though he slowly deteriorates both physically and mentally. Some days he’s entirely lucid and aware of who he is and where he is; other days he’s completely confused. Increasingly, he’s bed-ridden.

In 1900 he dies, at age 56.

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Modified by: R. Whalen

1844	Friedrich Nietzsche born	Father is Lutheran pastor. Father and mother are deeply conservative; FN is named after Prussian King Frederick William IV. FN will have a sister, Elizabeth; and a brother, Joseph (who dies as a child)
1849	FN’s father dies	FN grows up surrounded by very conservative, very religious women, in a very conservative era, in which obedience and conformity are the most important virtues.
1850s	FN attends elite prep. school, Schulpforta	FN is an outstanding student – intellectually curious; very focused & hard-working; a very quick learning; an astonishing memory. He’s good at everything – he especially likes languages
1864	FN at University of Bonn; later Leipzig	FN is now an outstanding university student. Focuses on the Classics – Greek & Roman language and literature (this is called “classical philology”).
1868	FN – now 24, meets Richard Wagner and is swept away!	Wagner is THE great celebrity in central Europe. Wagner eagerly builds a clique of disciples; he searches for the “brightest and best.” FN already has a reputation as one of the brightest university students in Central Europe, and Wagner is eager to have him as a disciple.
1869	FN is only 25, but already, several universities want him on their faculty. He goes to the University of Basel.	The world of “classics” is quite small; all the classics professors know each other and boast to each other about their best students. In the small world of “classics,” FN quickly becomes one of the most talked about “up and coming” students.
1870	FN – now 26 – volunteers to serve as a medical corpsman in the Prussian Army during the Franco-Prussian War	FN is infected with some extremely toxic disease, most like syphilis, though possibly something else. He had always suffered from migraine headaches, blurry vision, and nausea; now these symptoms gradually become worse.
1872	FN – at 28 – publishes his first book, The Birth of Tragedy.	A study of Greek tragedy, this book goes well beyond narrow “Classical Studies.” FN is interested especially in the philosophical claims made in the Greek tragedies. He’s especially interested in the inter-play between the Spirit of Reason (Apollo) and the Spirit of Passion (Dionysius).
1873-1875	FN writes Untimely Meditations	FN experiments with style – he tries writing in aphorisms, that is, very short units (some only a sentence in length). More and more he writes social commentary; he writes about politics, education, and philosophy.
1876	FN – at 32 – leaves the university, and tries to make a living as a writer.	Given all his health problems, FN can’t both teach and write. He tries to make a living as a writer, but it’s very difficult. He’s constantly plagued by money problems.
1878	Human – All Too Human	Dedicated to the “Memory of Voltaire,” this book. Written largely in aphorisms, this book launches FN’s criticism of Christianity; anti-Semitism, and Wagner.
1881	Dawn	Focus on Christianity; develops his ideas about “Will” and the “Will to Power.”
1882	FN meets Lou Salomé	Salomé is one of the great characters of the era. Brilliant, she is a key figure among the poets, philosophers, and writers of her time. Friends with FN, she also is close to Sigmund Freud, and the great poet Rainer Rilke.
1882	The Gay Science	A crucial text, FN develops themes that will be central to his thought – the Death of God; the Eternal Recurrence; the Will to Power.
1885	Thus Spake Zarathustra	FN’s most remarkable book. Written like a kind of “bible,” this book expresses all of FN’s central themes, in a powerful, symbolic, and often passionate way.
1886	Beyond Good & Evil	Back to his favorite aphoristic style (though now the aphorisms are sometimes several pages long), this book focuses on the need to “Re-Evaluate all Values.”
1887	On the Genealogy of Morals	Another call to “Re-Evaluate all Values.”
1888	The Case of Wagner	Wagner had died in 1883; FN had broken with him long before. Here, FN denounces Wagner as a tremendously talented artist, who was everything an artist shouldn’t be. FN’s health is awful. He’s only 44, but his migraines, nausea, blurry vision, and other aliments are getting worse.
1888	The Twilight of the Idols	A vehement assault on German culture, this book attacks just about everyone. Sometimes brilliant, sometimes outrageous and unfair.
1888	The Anti-Christ	The third great book of this year, a vociferous criticism of both Christianity, and German culture.
1888	Ecce Homo	In the fourth book of the year, FN again discusses the Űbermensch
1888	Nietzsche contra Wagner	In the amazing fifth (!) book of the year – it’s as if FN has to rush out with everything he can think of before it’s too late – FN takes a final shot at Wagner.
1889	In Turin, Italy, FN collapses. Ill, he’s also very disoriented.	His sister and mother place him in a mental hospital.
1889-1900	In a mental hospital, FN is not a “raving lunatic!” Most of the time, he’s soft-spoken and mild-mannered, though he slowly deteriorates both physically and mentally. Some days he’s entirely lucid and aware of who he is and where he is; other days he’s completely confused. Increasingly, he’s bed-ridden. In 1900 he dies, at age 56.