Cosmopolitanism and the National State

Book excerpt: With this translation, one of the classics of German historical literature becomes available in English. In Weltburgertum und Nationalstaat the eminent historian Friedrich Meinecke attempted to trace the transition in Germany from eighteenth-century cosmopolitanism to nineteenth-century nationalism, and to clarify the genetic history of the German nation through an analysis of the relationship between Prussia and Germany. The insights and arguments that Meinecke developed in this work have influenced two generations of historians, as has his superb methodology, which integrated the two areas of ideas and politics with rare effectiveness. Originally published in 1970. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.