part deals with the power of utility and reason, characterised by materialism, irreligiosity and egoism. The third part is devoted to the seeds of change for the better, a realm of freedom and eternal peace to come. Pauline Kleingeld categorises Novalis’ s thoughts on Europe as“ Romantic Cosmopolitanism” 26. She rejects the notion that he idealises Catholicism. According to Kleingeld, Novalis uses mediaeval Europe only as a symbol in his creative imagination for“ a cosmopolitan ideal of a global spiritual community”. Christian mediaeval Europe serves merely as a symbol for an ideal humanity united in faith and love. However, an inescapable development of humanity subsequently disrupts the primal unity. Individualism and profit lead to social fragmentation and political fragmentation of the states. Religion after reformation is confined within state borders, in contrary to its cosmopolitan intentions. Europe is in a state of constant warfare instead of eternal peace. A true change can only be achieved through the revival of a new spiritual power that enables one to take a new step forward.
The Extinction of the Holy from Reformation to French Revolution
“ Those were beautiful times, those were splendid times, the times of Christian Europe, when one Christianity inhabited this continent shaped in human form, and one vast, shared design united the farthest provinces of this spiritual kingdom. Free from extended worldly possessions, one supreme ruler held together the great political forces.” 27 Novalis, 1799
These are the first lines of Novalis’ s fragment. Here he strongly idealised the mediaeval past as a period of unity of the European continent, united by a joint religion. Everyone acted on the decrees of the church and ordinary people found“ protection, respect, and audience” in the church when needed. Churches were full of beauty, music, smells and mystery. Politically, Europe was a unit, and religious and political powers were in harmony with each other. The“ holy sense” was defended against scientific claims. Jerusalem, once destroyed by Rome, was now resurrected in the capital of the former destroyers, a“ holy residence of a divine government on earth”. Those were the beautiful traits of truly Catholic or truly Christian times.“ But humanity was not yet mature, not yet educated enough for this splendid realm”. Faith and Love were replaced by Knowledge and Possession. Due to the course of the Reformation( and the peace of religion in Augsburg in 1555), religion was limited within the boundaries of states. Thus the foundation of the cosmopolitan interest of religions was undermined, it lost its great political and peacemaking influence. Novalis claims that the inner-religious split between Protestant and Catholic was more profound than the one between Christians and Muslims.
27
All quotes from Novalis from the edition of Carl Paschek: Novalis Fragmente und Studien, Die Christenheit oder Europa, Stuttgart 2006, p. 67-89. Translations by the author of this article.
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