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Preface ................................................ 1
I A Short Biography of Carl Schurz .................... 4
II The "Vorwort": Introduction as Apology ........... 14
III The Memoir as Erfahrung: A Study of the Aesthetic and
Ethical Nature of Schurz's Upbringing and Education up
to the Revolution of 1848, as Delineated in the First Four
Chapters of the "Lebenserinnerungen" ............... 16
A. Early Influences - Childhood and Youth ....... 16
1. Circumstances of birthplace: a polarity
established, but not elaborated upon. ....... 16
2. Peasant life, as a source of values, becomes
romanticized. .............................. 17
3. Schurz's father in the Napoleanic Wars: a
political/military theme is occasioned. ...... 18
4. Schurz's grandfather, the "Burghalfen": a
civic model of mythic proportions. .......... 19
5. Questions of social injustice are avoided in
favor of nostalgic evocation with didactic
intentions. ................................ 23
6. Style and purpose are reflected in the first chapter
of the "Lebenserinnerungen" . .............. 24
7. Education, in and out of school. ............ 25
8. Schurz portrays his mother in
reverential terms. .......................... 27
9. A strong pietistic influence emerges through
the example of Schurz's mother. ............ 27
10. The Pietistic autobiography and the "Lebens-
erinnerungen": similarities and differences. 30
11. Schurz's father - a secular, educative
influence. ............................... 30
12. Pietistic precepts and secular aims. ......... 32
13. "Meister Jurges" - attacks on the Church and
religious scepticism. ....................... 35
14. Literary interests largely supersede religious
devotion in Schurz. ......................... 40
15. An association between literature and political
education. .................................. 41
16. Schurz as "Schiitzenkonig" - a lesson in
the ephemeral nature of glory. ................. 42
17. Disillusion in the theater. ................. 44
B. Influence of Teachers and Friends ............... 45
1. The rural and urban environment as contributing
factors to Schurz's early development. ...... 45
2. The preeminent role of instructors for Schurz's
education - Heinrich Bone and the techniques
of good writing. ............................ 47
3. Schurz's ambivalent attitude toward his early
writings. ...................................... 49
4. A poet's sensibility translates into political
engagement. ............................... 51
5. Young Schurz witnesses two public deaths and
exercises his skills at evocative prose. ....... 53
6. Early impressions of the drama. ............ 57
7. Schiller as representative of a dramatic concept
and an ideology. ......... ............... 59
8. Idealism and revolution. .................... 60
9. The effect of public (political) considerations
upon autobiographic perceptions - the lessons
of history. ............................... 64
10. Another teacher becomes a mentor:
Wilhelm Piitz. ............................. 72
11. Friends gain influence with regard to Schurz's
thinking on social and artistic issues. ....... 74
12. Literary aspirations and discernment. ....... 76
13. Schurz airs his views on modesty and envy . 81
14. A lesson in aesthetic pleasures with limited
means. .................................... 84
15. A didactic anecdote concerning the evils of
gambling. ..................................... 86
16. Two incidents of dubious success: Schurz as
village organist and "Schitzenk6nig". ...... 87
17. Through his father's ineptitude Schurz learns to
assume responsibility early. ................ . 89
18. Schurz propagates for the retention of classical
languages in the school curriculum. ......... 90
C. Student in Bonn ................................ 93
1. The "Burschenschaft Frankonia" and its influence
on Schurz's development. .................... 93
2. Schurz's ambivalent relationship to the
"Frankone" Johannes Overbeck. ........... 95
3. Psychology and leadership: an unspecified
corollary. .................................... 97
4. The connection between literary and political
ambition. ...................................... . 99
5. Schurz's ascendance within the Frankonia, a
first taste of social interaction. ............ 102
6. Discrepancies in his account of his
"Maturititsexamen"........................ 103
7. Intentions at variance with remembrance. 104
8. The Frankonia as a proving ground for
developing political aspirations. ........... 107
9. Schurz's discourse on duelling: an example of
vindictive prose. .......................... 113
10. Schurz's portrayal of the Kinkels. .......... 116
11. Schurz assumes a historian's perspective. .. 123
12. Literary activism translates into political
activism. .. ............................ 128
13. Richard Wanderer. ........................ 129
14. A changing political consciousness is reflected
in a literary endeavor, Ulrich von Hutten, very
contrary to the intentions of the Novelle. .. 131
15. Hutten as a projection of Schurz's own dramatic
sense of history and his role therein. ....... 133
IV The Memoir as "Erlebnis": The Revolution of 1848/1849
and its Aftermath Viewed in a Biographical and Historical
Context ............................................ 136
A. Revolution as an Academic Exercise ........... 136
1. Hutten and Schurz - an elected affinity. .. 136
2. A social perspective begins to supersede a
personal one in the memoir. ............... 141
3. The author launches a defense of the German
"48ers". ................................... 148
4. The lesson of experience and history and their
application in the memoir. ................ 155
5. The Pietistic and Puritan autobiography as
antecedents. ............................. 161
6. Schurz derives inspiration from, and builds upon
the American mythology represented by
Franklin and Lincoln. .................... 164
7. The Revolution unleashes intrinsic qualities
within Schurz that are to determine and
define his career. .. ..................... 171
8. Schurz's debut as a public speaker. ........ 174
9. Brief individual portraits. ................ 179
a. Karl Marx ............................ 179
b. Adolf Strodtmann .................... 180
c. aBetty" .......................... 182
10. Compensation and atonement become personal
needs transposed to the public sphere. ..... 185
B. From Siegburg to Rastatt: Personal Determination
Amidst Military Defeat ........................ 190
1. The fiasco near Siegburg. .................. 190
2. Schurz takes up arms to fight for the Revolution
in the Palatinate and Baden. ............... 194
3. Rastatt and his daring escape from the
Prussian forces. ........................... 197
C. Exile in Switzerland: An Unsettling Interlude .. 204
1. Schurz verbally attacks his fellow emigre6s. 204
2. The idle refugee finds purpose in a bold plan. 206
D. Schurz Rescues a Hero From Prison and Becomes
a Greater One in the Process ................ 209
1. A questionable claim of verity. ............ 209
2. Schurz ameliorates the fates of those who
helped in the rescue. .................... 201
E. In Transit: Paris and London .................. 215
1. An anecdote and a masked ball serve as moral
la QcnnQa ... .... ...................... . 215
2. Rachel .......... ................. 17
3. London - old revolutionaries and a young
bride. ..................................... 219
4. Departure. ............................. 220
V Bibliography .............................. .....222
Library of Congress Subject Headings for this publication: Schurz, Carl, 1829-1906, Lebenserinnerungen, Statesmen United States Biography History and criticism, German Americans Biography History and criticism