The Romantic Movement
Romanticism Defines the Early 19th Century in Western Europe
Romanticism takes root in Germany and England and Inspires the French Revolution, influencing art, literature and music.
The Enlightenment of the 18th Century was the Age of Reason. Emotions and faith were put on the back burner, while people sought answers to all of life’s mysteries through science, math and logic. By second of half of the 18th Century, when the Enlightenment was in full force, many people began rejecting the idea of basing everything on reason and sought a return to emotions and feelings. This return to emotion would be known as the Romantic Movement.
Romanticism helped inspire the idea of Nationalism, leading to major events, such as the French Revolution and a unified Germany. However, just as it inspired political movements, the Romantic Movement was shaped by them as well. The Reign of Terror brought about a strong desire for more humane leaders, who would not dictate orders through cold logic and reasoning, while the Industrial Revolution would inspire a return to the country life.
Characteristics of Romantics
The early Romantics, as its members were called, went against conventional beliefs by expressing their feelings, through art, literature and music. They believed in unrestrained exuberance and emotion, both in their art and their personal lives. Romantics let their imaginations run wild with all the possibilities of change and improving society. They rejected material things and sought spiritual awakening through their art, believing that the purpose of life was for each person to fulfill his or her own unique human potential. Thumbing their nose at conventional society, Romantics shrugged off powered wigs and let their hair grow wild and uncombed. Consider them the hippies of the 18th Century.
Romanticism and the Industrial Revolution
In the late 18th Century and early 19th Century the wave of industrialization that swept across Europe helped fuel Romanticism. Romantics viewed industrialization as an attack on humankind as well as Mother Nature. They believed (perhaps rightly so) that the industrial revolution was changing the natural order of man, who belonged in the country. This idea caught on and it became very fashionable for those living in the cities to take second homes in the country or visit the country on holiday, during the summer. The Lakes district of northern England became a haven for Romantics, while those who could afford it went off to more exotic places, such as Northern Africa.
Germany and England Embrace the Romantic Movement
By the 1790s the Romantic Movement was in full swing all over Europe. However, it was particularly embraced in Germany and England. The French Revolution helped foster the idea that reconstruction of society was possible. It built on the Enlightenment idea of progress, that society could be better. History became a new found passion for Romantics. Many Romantics, especially in Germany, looked back to their ancestors as inspiration for the present day. The German idea of Volk came about as part of the Romantic Movement and would play a prominent role in unifying Germany in the later half of the 19th Century.
Sources:
Lang, Sean. European History for Dummies. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, LTD. 2006.
Mckay, Hill, Buckler. A History of World Societies: Volume II Since 1500. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1992.
