Carl Schmitt (1888–1985), the constitutional theorist whose work has been the subject of global debate, became acquainted with the Expressionist poet Theodor Däubler (1876–1934) at an early age and published his first monograph on Däubler’s ‘Northern Lights’ vision of the philosophy of history as early as 1916. Reinhard Mehring examines Schmitt’s canonisation policies, his literary influences and his political-theological aesthetics which distances him from Heidegger and brings him closer to Däubler, whom Schmitt praised throughout his life as a ‘poet for tomorrow’. This is documented for the first time through Schmitt’s personal copies, illustrated by Däubler’s work and confirmed by the publication of previously unknown sources. Mehring analyses and puts into perspective the legend of Schmitt’s ‘Catholic turn’ towards Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and Konrad Weiß. Schmitt’s departure from conventional Christianity is further demonstrated by his reflections on Kaspar Hauser as the ‘last Christian myth’. Instead of conceiving a book on Hitler or else an open retrospective examination of National Socialism, Schmitt after the war went on to write the Shakespeare book “Hamlet or Hecuba”, which is here discussed as a didactic text and an esoteric legend concerning Schmitt’s own role in National Socialism.
Keywords
Search publication
Bibliographic data
Edition
1/2026
Copyright Year
2026
ISBN-Print
978-3-465-04773-5
ISBN-Online
978-3-465-14773-2
Publisher
Klostermann, Frankfurt am Main
Series
Klostermann Rote Reihe
Volume
174
Language
German
Pages
145
Product Type
Monograph
Table of contents
ChapterPages
Vorwort No access
Inhaltsverzeichnis No access
Parallelen No access
Wegscheide Däubler No access
Adressaten No access
Der Advokat als Bruder des Dichters No access
Schmitts persönliche Beziehung zu Däubler No access
Zur Abkehr von Richard Wagner No access
Diverse Handexemplare No access
Handexemplar der Nordlicht-Erstausgabe von 1910 No access
Handexemplar des Däubler-Buches von 1916 No access
Schlussbemerkungen No access
Selbstaussagen No access
Däublers epische »Menschheits-Gnosis« No access
»Da meine Sonne unterging«: die »rettende Kraft« Annette von Droste-Hülshoffs No access
Zum »dunklen Sinn« eines »Christlichen Epimetheus« No access
Eine verworfene Alternative zum Hamlet-Buch: Kaspar Hauser No access
Totengedächtnis: Fritz Eisler, Georg Trakl, Norbert von Hellingrath No access
Warum Shakespeare? No access
Autobiographische Lesart No access
Spielte Schmitt im Nationalsozialismus die Rolle des Jakob? No access
Politisches Regietheater No access
Anhang Drei Briefe an Theodor Däubler No access Pages 131 - 135
