The Invention of Trauma in German Romanticism

Abstract

What is the promise of trauma? Or, why was the concept of trauma invented? Which constellations of discourse made such an invention or discovery desirable, usable, or at least understandable? And, what are the consequences of the formulation of a new idea, such as that of trauma? The following text traces how the concept of trauma emerged as a response to a certain understanding of the self in romanticism. The new notion of self and selfhood is dated to the years around 1770, at least within the English, French, and German contexts.1 Prior to 1770 selfhood seems not to have been a general concern (unlike notions of identity and belonging). However, around and after 1770 selfhood becomes a prerequisite for the modern man.2 In fact, the very notion of le moi or das Ich gains sudden and rapid popularity in just a few years. While there are some commonalities between the developments in these countries, the German period of Sturm und Drang radicalizes the notion of selfhood to such a degree that the battle cry for the self in this period turns into a lamentation about its unachievability. Instead of celebrating their genius, originality, singularity, or autonomy, the Germans only recognize that they cannot meet the demand set by the notion of das Ich. Thus, instead of gaining a self, theGerman romantics suffer from their perceived weakness in failing to accomplish the creation of a self. In short, the self exists as self-compulsion (Ich-Zwang).