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Quote by Stefan Zweig

“Of course, in the reality of history, the Machiavellian view which glorifies the principle of violence has been able to dominate.Not the compromising conciliatory politics of humaneness, not the Erasmian, but rather the politics of vested power which firmly exploits every opportunity, politics in the sense of the "Principe," has determined the development of European history ever since.”

Quote by Stefan Zweig

Author

Stefan Zweig, born on November 28, 1881 in Vienna, was an Austrian novelist, playwright, and biographer. Known for his profound psychological insights and unique narrative style, he is a significant figure in European literature at the beginning of the 20th century. more

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“Never is a historic deed already completed when it is done but always only when it is handed down to posterity. What we call "history" by no means represents the sum total of all significant deeds.... World historyonly comprises that tiny lighted sector which chanced to be placed in the spotlight by poetic or scholarly depictions.”

World Mean Done History Deeds Tiny Significant Poetic Historic World History Posterity Spotlight Scholarly Depiction

Author:Stefan Zweig

“The Battle of Waterloo is a work of art with tension and drama with its unceasing change from hope to fear and back again, changewhich suddenly dissolves into a moment of extreme catastrophe, a model tragedy because the fate of Europe was determined within this individual fate.”

Art Moments Individual History Fate Drama Battle Models Europe Tragedy Extremes Determined Tension Works Of Art Catastrophe Back Again Waterloo

Author:Stefan Zweig

“But nothing is better than a truth which appears not to have the semblance of truth. There is always something incomprehensible about the great heroic deeds performed by humanity because they rise so far beyond the mediocre measure of mere mortals; but it is always only because of the incredible feats that human beings have accomplished that humanity recovers its faith in itself.”

Humans Truth Humanity Human Beings Mere Incredibles Deeds Mortals Accomplished Heroic Mediocre Feats Semblance Mere Mortals Heroic Deeds

Author:Stefan Zweig

“With Nietzsche, the black pirates' flag appears for the first time on the high sea of German knowledge. (He is) a different man, from a different race, (his,) a new kind of heroism, philosophywith bellicose weapons and armor.”

Men Firsts Kind Different Black Race Knowledge Sea Weapons First Time Philosophical Flags Heroism Pirate Armor Different Races High Seas

Author:Stefan Zweig

“This is the first time in history that a war has involved the whole world, and also it may last many years more; this thought is soul-shattering for all of us as human beings. It is horrible to think that the crimes committed by this one man Hitler have these many years been destroying the lives of hundreds of thousands and millions, and one would despair entirely were it not certain that the majority, the innumerable majority which opposes him openly or secretly, will succeed in wiping out once and for all him and his.”

Source: Stefan and Friderike Zweig: their correspondence, 1912-1942

“But, in history, practical usefulness never determines the moral value of an achievement. Only the person who increases the knowledge humanity has about itself and enhances its creative consciousness permanently enriches humanity.”

Persons Values Humanity Consciousness Moral Knowledge Creative Achievement Increase Determine Practicals Usefulness Moral Values

Author:Stefan Zweig

“Art knows no happier moment than the opportunity to show the symmetry of an extreme, during that moment of spheric harmony when the dissonance dissolves for the blink of an eye, dissolves into a blissful harmony, when the most extreme opposites, coming together from the greatest alienation, fleetingly touch with lips of the word and of love.”

Knows Art Moments Shows Eye Together Opportunity Opposites Harmony Lips Extremes That Moment Alienation Blink Symmetry Coming Together Dissonance Blink Of An Eye

Author:Stefan Zweig

“Nothing that has ever been thought and said with a clear mind and pure ethical strength is totally in vain; even if it comes froma weak hand and is imperfectly formed, it inspires the ethical spirit to constantly renewed creation.”

Ifs Inspirational Mind Said Hands Spirit Clear Creation Inspire Pure Weak Vain Ethical Clear Minds

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“He who has been impoverished for a long timewho has long stood before the door of the mighty in darkness and begged for alms,has filled his heart with bitterness so that it resembles a sponge full of gall; he knows about the injustice and folly of all human action and sometimes his lips tremble with rage and a stifled scream.”

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“Only the rare expands our minds, only as we shudder in the face of a new force do our feelings increase. Therefore the extraordinary is always the measure of all greatness. And the creative element always remains the value superior to all others and the mind superior to our minds.”

Mind Feelings Faces Values Force Creativity Creative Greatness Elements Increase Remains Extraordinary Superiors

Author:Stefan Zweig