This study explores German literary figures' reflections on the empire from the Enlightenment to the Romantic era. It helps shed light on a central theme often overlooked in the gaps between disciplines. The Holy Roman Empire never became a quantité négligeable for writers like Wieland, Herder, Schiller, and Goethe, nor for Jean Paul, Eichendorff, and Kleist. Instead, it formed an important reference point for their thinking and writing.

Autorentext

Markus Hien, University of Würzburg, Germany.