The notes translated here are taken from Günderrode’s manuscripts held at the Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg in Frankfurt, which are in the public domain. German transcriptions of these notes can also be found in the critical edition of Günderrode’s works edited by Walter Morgenthaler and in an article published in 1975 by Doris Hopp and Max Preitz. PleaseContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode’s Notes on History of Religion”
Category Archives: women philosophers
Karoline von Günderrode’s “Timur” and the Influence of Ossian
This post explores a strong stylistic and thematic influence on Günderrode’s work: the writings of legendary Scottish bard Ossian. For an English translation of Günderrode’s dramatic fragment “Mora” see Karoline von Günderrode: Philosophical Writings (OUP: forthcoming January-March 2026). A translation of the short story “Timur” is included at the end of this post. Versions of the original GermanContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode’s “Timur” and the Influence of Ossian”
Karoline von Günderrode, “The Prisoner and the Singer”
A version of the original German text can be found here. Rather than providing a new translation of the poem, I’ll send you to an existing one here. “The Prisoner and the Singer” was written in 1805 or 1806 and included in Günderrode’s third collection, Melete. The verses describe a singer who grants a prisoner’s request toContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode, “The Prisoner and the Singer””
Karoline von Günderrode’s Notes: Where Did They Come From?
In which I explain a mystery in Günderrode scholarship. Please cite me if you quote or share information from this post. In 1975, Doris Hopp and Max Preitz published a selection of notes from Günderrode’s notebooks, including a set of quotations by Kant, Spinoza, Locke, Fichte, Rousseau, Herder and other philosophers and writers. Günderrode groupedContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode’s Notes: Where Did They Come From?”
Why We Should Read Frances Power Cobbe as a Philosopher – Guest Blog by Alison Stone
Until recently, women were systematically excluded from the history of philosophy – so systematically that it used to be assumed that there were no women philosophers in the past. Women have even been left out of the canon when they were famous in their own times. The Anglo-Irish philosopher Frances Power Cobbe (1822–1904) is aContinue reading “Why We Should Read Frances Power Cobbe as a Philosopher – Guest Blog by Alison Stone”
Poems in Günderrode’s Notebooks & Their Sources
Supplementary information and corrections to published scholarship on the sources for poems transcribed in Günderrode’s notebooks. This is a resource for scholars working on Günderrode’s notes and unpublished writings. Günderrode left numerous notes from her studies on a range of subjects, including philosophy, chemistry, Latin, metrics, physiognomy, ancient history and religions from across the world.Continue reading “Poems in Günderrode’s Notebooks & Their Sources”
Karoline von Günderrode, “Antiquity, and Modernity”
This unfinished poem by Günderrode contrasts faith and reason; an enchanted world with a safer but less inspiring world of science. The piece has parallels to Novalis’ “Christendom, or Europa,” although it was very likely written before Novalis’ text was published. It is interesting in part because of its consideration of themes that appear inContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode, “Antiquity, and Modernity””
Karoline von Günderrode, “Musa”
This little-read short story by Günderrode is loosely based on the events of the 15th century Ottoman Interregnum. The story contains typical Günderrodean themes of friendship and betrayal, as well as the limits of the rightful use of power and the nature of tyranny. The piece also showcases Günderrode’s interest in epic stories and theContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode, “Musa””
Why We Should Read Günderrode as a Philosopher
The question of why we should read Karoline von Günderrode (1780-1806) as a philosopher is only a specific instance of the question about the value of studying historical women’s writing in general for its philosophical contributions. The discipline of philosophy, as it is carried out in academic institutions in the west, has historically tended toContinue reading “Why We Should Read Günderrode as a Philosopher”
Karoline von Günderrode, “The Apparition”
Karoline von Günderrode’s “The Apparition” is a ghost story dealing with betrayal and regret, as well as two of Günderrode’s trademark themes: connections between the living and the dead, and the search for knowledge. The piece appeared in Poems and Fantasies: Günderrode’s first, 1804 collection of poetry, short stories, dialogues and Lesedramen (“closet dramas,” orContinue reading “Karoline von Günderrode, “The Apparition””
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