14. The Development of the German Soul

The aforementioned characteristic of the German national soul means that what provides an understanding of the German national soul must be sought in this easy surrender, which, however, does not necessarily have to be associated with a certain weakness, as one might so easily think. And precisely this could emerge from the words of unbiased observers of the German soul. There is, for example, an unbiased observer – I almost shrink from reading these words aloud because, as I said, it is uncomfortable for a German to hear such words spoken about the Germans. One poem is called “To Germany”. It may be said that this poem is imbued at once with the diversity, the delicate balance of the German national soul and the strength that flows from this very balance. And so the poet says: