The Myth Arminius – Hermann

…amongst science, artistic license and political consideration

Since the 16th century, the image of a typical Germanic man was utilised to convey contemporary political issues and, at the same time, to create a related atmosphere which expressed a long – and justifying – tradition. It was rather the contemporary imagination and fashions which influenced the way the Germanic people were perceived, rather than scientifically based knowledge about their way of living, their clothes et cetera.

The first illustrations of the Germanic people - which were widely spread and which influenced the subsequent art - significantly do not originate from the Germanic people but from Roman artists. They manifested their view of the tribes in the North of the Empire who were either supposed to be conquered or were already allies. Thus they created a repertoire of forms which was later taken up again or changed. In these illustrations, the Germanic people were usually presented as the vanquished. They were obviously non- Romans apparent in their clothing and hairstyle. In view of the much cited fact that they were either naked or just partly dressed, they seemed to be not only »barbaric«, but also strong and serious opponents. It was deemed a military success – worthy of celebrating a victory march - to defeat these enemies. 

After the decline of the Roman Empire, the image of the Germanic people did not play such an important role in medieval times. Only when Tacitus’ »Germania« and his »Annals« were printed again at the end of the 15th century the Germanic people were remembered as the opponents of the Roman Empire. This awakened the alleged descendants’s interest. Subsequently, the rebellious Cheruscan was uniformly and positively appreciated which shows how willingly and uncritically these texts were perceived. In his »Annals«, Tacitus celebrated Arminius as the »liberator of Germania« who had been courageous enough to »challenge the Roman Empire which was in full bloom«. According to him, he was »not always victorious in particular battles, but undefeated in war«. He was therefore a real hero and one expected that emulating him would bring honour.

In this manner the figure »Arminius« – Martin Luther presumably named him »Hermann«-started to appear in literature and its illustrations in the 16th century. Arminius’ character was used both as an educational example and as a model which could be associated with apparently comparable political, contemporary situations. The Cheruscan was presented in book illustrations wearing a traditional costume of the 16th century. Small invented details or inscriptions were added to reveal his Germanic identity. The threatening Romans would either represent an oppressing territorial lord or the pope, against whom one had to defend one’s interests. 

Arminius appears as a Free Imperial Knight equipped with contemporary armour in Burchard Waldis’ »rhymed chronicle«. Just like David who carries Goliath’s disembodied head, Arminius holds the hairs of Varus’ head in his right hand while raising the bare sword with his left hand. Together with eleven other, mostly invented heroes of the German history, he is part of a gallery of characters who personify the undivided unity of the German Empire. They were supposed to remind the quarrelling territorial lords of the German Empire and how important the unity was, especially when faced with the menacing Turkish conquest.

The first part of Daniel Caspar Lohenstein’s novel »Arminius und Thusnelda« was published in 1689. Roman and Germanic people are displayed in the illustrations made by Johann Jacob von Sandrart. They wear fanciful costumes which were either based on the Roman historians’ descriptions or which imaginatively added detail to the unknown. A winged helmet often appears in this context as a Germanic characteristic. A »Germanic leader« had worn this helmet on an illustration made by Simon de Vries’ in 1616. Since the 17th century, it developed to be the most-cited Germanic characteristic in the following centuries, although there is no historic basis for this detail.

Lohenstein’s novel was dedicated to King Leopold I. who was probably impersonated in the hero of the novel. The contemporary noble readers apparently seemed to take a fancy to the dedication, »In honour of the German nobility and to their laudable successors« as well as to the exotic, entertaining style of his baroque illustrations. After 42 years a second edition was published. In 1772 the Fürstenberg porcelain manufacture produced a series of Germanic figurines which imitated the above-mentioned illustrations. 
  
A range of dramas, operas, songs and poems which dealt with Arminius’ fight against the Romans were released in the second half of the 18th century. They particularly focused on the position of the aristocrats – Arminius was also considered to have been noble – in contrast to their subjects. This distance was clearly expressed in the contemporary illustrations. The common people had plain, sometimes even poor clothes, whereas their leader’s clothing demonstrated courtly splendour. In addition to this, their lowly position in the tribal society was expressed by illustrating a genuflection or a bowed back. 

In order to strengthen the position of the territorial lords, the emphasis was put on the aristocratic supremacy which seemingly was based on a long tradition since the early Germanic days. Optionally, Arminius could either be interpreted as a liberator and unifying personality of the Germanic tribes, or as an appeal to strengthen the Habsburg Imperial power – or the power of an ambitious prince like Frederick the Great of Prussia.   A different view appeared simultaneously to this interpretation of the events. The illustrations in Klopstock’s »Hermanns Schlacht« put on stage by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki in 1782 show - in accordance with the description – an Arminius-Hermann who is capable of prioritising the virtue of love for children as opposed to his heroism and who thereby provided a potential identification for the bourgeoisie. Pictures which represented this fundamental idea would show an Arminius who did not externally differ from his followers. The former great distance was succeeded by a new closeness which made it easier to empathise with the hero.
 
In 1782 Johann Heinrich Tischbein the Elder illustrated a noble Arminius holding court. In contrast to this, Wilhelm Tischbein interpreted Arminius as a devoted family father wearing rather plain clothes, who - with his chin raised - defends his wife, children and father with an uplifted sword and a protecting shield against an invisible danger. This matched the basic feeling of the Biedermeier time when people withdrew to their private lives after belligerent periods. 

At the end of the 19th century, at the time of the foundation of Bismarck’s German Empire, the illustration of the subject changed fundamentally. Unlike the previously favoured scenes with selected individuals, epical pictures of battles occurred. They would decorate public buildings and were supposed to pedagogically celebrate the »birth of the nation« by providing the necessary historical basis. 

The completion of the Hermann monument in Detmold in the year 1875 is also due to the foundation of the Empire. Without the latter, there probably would not have been an initiative to raise the much-needed funds. The inauguration ceremony was a homage to the absolutistic Wilhelmine Imperial House. The commemorative plaque for William I. manifested the monarch’s identification with the monumentally inflated »national hero« who raised his sword towards the »French hereditary enemy«.

At the time of the National Socialism (1933 - 1945) , the state and the leading party were particularly interested in the Germanic history.  It was idealised and exploited in order to provide a destination for those who were looking for an identity and a legitimacy. The rulers even tried to revitalise the self-created founding myth and the system which allegedly was behind it. I.e. they built »Thing« places and unsuccessfully invited the population to use them, in a Germanic style, for theatre plays and choral events, et cetera. The myth itself continued to be a means to an end. Pictures were also utilised. Hermann, mostly in the shape of the Hermann memorial, could be seen on postcards with ideologic slogans or on the front pages of National Socialist societies. The purpose was to put their own actions into a traditional context by referring to history.

After the break-up of National Socialism the Hermann myth did not play a significant role anymore. The only Germanic figures which appeared were comic characters and Asterix the Gaul could easily cope with these. They could also be seen on paper bags from bakeries, with croissant helmets on their heads and raising baguettes rather than swords for advertising purposes. Hermann had to leave the political sphere and was sent back to science. He regained his traditional name »Arminius«. Political connotation has obviously gone; emancipation from the clutches of the early days seems to have been successful.