The early Romantic Georg Friedrich Philipp Freiherr von Hardenberg (1772-1801) was born at Oberwiederstedt Castle.
The early Romantic Georg Friedrich Philipp Freiherr von Hardenberg (1772-1801) was born at Oberwiederstedt Castle.
The poet, who was friends with Friedrich Schiller, Ludwig Tieck, Friedrich and Wilhelm Schlegel and worked under the pseudonym "Novalis", belonged to the circle of early Romanticism in Jena. The early death of his fiancée Sophie von Kühn (1782-1797), his studies at the mining academy in Freiberg and his work as a mining official left their mark on the poet. Friedrich von Hardenberg's combination of professional activity and poetry, his idea of the "poetization" of all sciences and the "romanticization" of the world gave him a special position among the early Romantics. His unfinished novel "Heinrich von Ofterdingen" is the source of the "Blue Flower", a symbol (of longing) that became a symbol of the creative imagination of man striving for perfection for the entire Romantic period. The Research Centre for Early Romanticism and Novalis Museum brings this legacy to life through exhibitions, the creation of an 'imaginary' Novalis library, research work, a varied program of events and the "blue garden" in front of the Renaissance palace.