Goethe, the French Revolution and the Figure of the Political Refugee

Speaker: Till Breyer (University of Bochum)
The distinction between political refugees and non-political forced migrants has deeply shaped the public perception and literary representation of exile throughout the twentieth century. Unlike the supposedly passive migrants, the political refugee is supposed to be an autonomous and reliable actor in the chaos of political upheaval. The history of this distinction can be traced back to the epoch of the French Revolution, when the political dimension of mass expulsion took centre stage for the first time. In his talk, Till Breyer will focus on Goethe’s epic poem ‘Hermann und Dorothea’ (1797) to show how Goethe contributed to, but also ironically observed, the making of the ‘political refugee’.
Dr Till Breyer is Lecturer in German Studies at the University of Bochum. He held a Martin Miller and Hannah Norbert-Miller Visiting Fellowship at the Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies in autumn 2024.
All are welcome to attend this seminar, organised by the Research Centre for German & Austrian Exile Studies at the ILCS, in person or online (via Zoom).
Attendance is free, but advance online registration is essential for both in person attendance and online.
Image: Illustration from an 1888 edition of 'Hermann und Dorothea' (© Wikimedia Commons, public domain).
This page was last updated on 21 January 2025