'Unterm reinsten Himmel der unsicherste Boden' : Die Grossstadterfahrung in Goethes Italiendichtung
This study deals with the urban experiences in the “Italian” works of Goethe: The Roman Elegies (1795), The Venetian Epigrams (1790/1800), and The Italian Journey (1816/1817 -1829). The introductive part delivers an overview of the evolution of the idea of the city, from the cities of ancient Greece and the biblical tradition to the modern metropoleis who become synonyms for mobility and nervousness. The second part is dedicated to The Roman Elegies and The Venetian Epigrams, two collections of poems in which the urban space figures prominently. It is then The Italian Journey that delivers the bulk of the material thus allowing the most insights about Goethe’s urban experiences. The study focuses on the four large cities which Goethe has seen in Italy and which he describes in his works: Venice, Palermo, Naples and Rome. Goethe shows the possibilities and the dangers of the metropolis. These possibilities are not presented in an abstract manner but take a rather concrete shape: It is in the large cities where Goethe convalesces and where evolves his personality. This doesn’t prevent him from criticising the life and the events in these cities, be it on the political, spiritual or aesthetic field. Whenever he sees at stake what he considers to be the decisive points in urban life – the historical consciousness, tradition of principles, exchange, and concentration – he criticises. Dissipation, velocity, and pandemonium threaten these urban experiences more than ever. Goethe calls attention to the things that are fading and need to be preserved and he gives the reasons why some urban attainments are worth being protected