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Remembering Germany's "Difficult Poet"

February 17, 2006

Friday marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Heinrich Heine. Find out more about the German poet in DW-WORLD's dossier.

https://p.dw.com/p/7zXK
Heinrich Heine: Germany's multi-facetted literary geniusImage: Ulrich Otte

Feb. 17, 2006 marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Heinrich Heine. While he's internationally regarded as one of Germany's greatest poets, his countrymen have struggled to come to terms with the "difficult poet," as he is often referred to.

Heine's poignant critiques of his homeland clouded his reputation in Germany for many years. The beauty of his poems -- many of which have been set to music -- even defeated the Nazis, who included some of them in national collections while burning Heine's other works.

While his genius is undoubted and his birthplace Düsseldorf will ring in a Heine Year on Friday, he remains controversial: Some experts see him as an intellectual cosmopolitan while others point to his disdain for other nations.

Find out more about the controversial poet in DW-WORLD's dossier.

Skip next section Reports & Analysis

Reports & Analysis

"He Was Always an Outsider"

An aversion against Heine based on prejudices has been passed from one German generation to the next one while eastern Europeans and Asians have long admired him, says the director of the Heine Institute.
February 17, 2006

"He Was Not Respectful of Other Nations"

While changing tastes in poetry led to a waning interest in Heine in Germany, the writer has been inappropriately chosen as a cosmopolitan poster child, says US Heine expert Jeffrey L. Sammons.
February 17, 2006

Heinrich Heine: Germany's Wronged Literary Genius

Friday marks the 150th anniversary of the death of Heinrich Heine. While Germans long reviled the poet, others have long seen him on par with Goethe as a literary genius.
February 17, 2006

"He Was Quite Cruel in Many Ways"

Germans might struggle with Heinrich Heine because of his merciless depiction of their homeland. But the German author's also simply a lot of fun to read, says an English expert.
February 17, 2006