In his monumental study of German identity, Dieter Borchmeyer identifies two broad trends in the discourse about the nation. On the one hand, in his view, we find those who seek to delimit membership in the national community to an inner core defined by language, culture, or, most notoriously, race. On the other hand, we discover authors who insist—paradoxically—that the essence of the German nation lies in its cosmopolitanism, in its ability to embrace and absorb difference. Schiller's “Deutsche Größe” (German greatness), a fragmentary poem given its name by patriotic nineteenth-century editors, serves as one of Borchmeyer's prime examples of the cosmopolitan tradition in German thought. Probably composed sometime over the course of 1801, Schiller's poem takes as its theme the contrast between Germany's crumbling Empire and its great cultural achievements. While other European nations, in particular Britain and France, consolidated their state administrations and extended their power abroad, the Germans joined together in the realm of the spirit. Lack of political unity is not to blame for Germany's problems, Schiller's sketch suggests. Just the opposite, in fact: particularism was a liberating factor in the development of diverse German regions unconstrained by a single national capital. The imminent collapse of the Reich is a fortunate fall, for German language and culture are now poised to rise and extend their reach around the world. “Unsre Sprache wird die Welt beherrschen” (Our language will rule the world), proclaims Schiller, for the Germans’ time has come: “Jedes Volk hat seinen Tag in der Geschichte, doch der Tag der Deutschen ist die Ernte der ganzen Zeit” (Every people has its day in history, but the day of the Germans is the harvest of all time).

Although these lines may seem ominous today, Schiller insists that violent conquest is not what he has in mind. In strife-torn Europe, German culture stands above the fray and is thus poised to radiate peace and understanding to a global audience. At about the same time, Schiller's former student Novalis was writing his “Europa” essay, which begins with a nostalgic look back at the unity of Christian Europe in the Middle Ages, but concludes with a prophetic vision in which he proclaims that the Germans will lead the way to a new, pan-European harmony.