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223593

They fluttered like moths

exile and cosmopolitanism in the work of Germaine de Staël and georg brandes

Lynn R. Wilkinson

pp. 51-67

Abstract

In Georg Brandes's first lecture series at the University of Copenhagen in 1871, he explores exile as a catalyst for intellectual development, positing Madame de Staël as a pioneering figure of cosmopolitanism and cultural exchange. This essay traces Brandes's reading of Staël, beginning with the community she set up at Coppet, which shows how symbolic capital can thrive without political strength. Another significant locus for both Staël and Brandes was Rome, which provided a cosmopolitan alternative to Paris for exiles and visitors alike. Both Coppet and Rome also act as alternative models for Copenhagen toward the end of the century. Despite their constant fascination with Paris—the eponymous flame—the examples of Staël and Brandes show how different forms of capital can be found elsewhere.

Publication details

Published in:

Hibbitt Richard (2017) Other capitals of the nineteenth century: an alternative mapping of literary and cultural space. Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan.

Pages: 51-67

DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-57085-7_3

Full citation:

Wilkinson Lynn R. (2017) „They fluttered like moths: exile and cosmopolitanism in the work of Germaine de Staël and georg brandes“, In: R. Hibbitt (ed.), Other capitals of the nineteenth century, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 51–67.