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The 'Blue Flower' (German: '''Blaue Blume''') is a central symbol of Romanticism. It stands for desire, love, and the metaphysical striving for the infinite and unreachable.
Local blue-blooming flowers such as the Chicory or Cornflower are often seen as parallels to the "Blue Flower."

Contents

Origins

Use of the symbol

Wandervogel movement

The German student movement of the sixties

Movies: "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"

References

External links

Origins

German author Novalis first used the symbol in his unfinished novel of formation, entitled ''Heinrich von Ofterdingen''. After contemplating a meeting with a stranger, the young Heinrich von Ofterdingen dreams about blue flowers which call to him and absorb his attention. (The Japanese translation of the novel was entitled ''aoi hana'' (青い花), literally "bluish-green flower," emphasizing the motif.)

Use of the symbol

Joseph Freiherr von Eichendorff wrote a poem called "Die blaue Blume" (The blue flower). Adelbert von Chamisso saw the core of Romanticism in the motif, and Goethe searched for the "Urpflanze" or "original plant" in Italy, which in some interpretations could refer to the blue flower.
English writer Penelope Fitzgerald's historical novel 'The Blue Flower' is based on Novalis's early life.
In John Le Carré’s 1968 novel A Small Town in Germany, the character Bradfield says, “I used to think I was a Romantic, always looking for the blue flower.” (Pan edition, p. 286 – chap. 17)
Manga artist and author Takako Shimura's manga series "Aoi Hana" (English title "Sweet Blue Flowers") is about idealistic, Romantic-style affection between female high school students.
"Blue Flower" is the name of a song by 1990's band Mazzy Star. "Blue Flowers" is a song by the alternative MC, Kool Keith (AKA Dr. Octagon), on his 1996 album, ''Dr. Octagonecologyst''.

Wandervogel movement

In 1960 Werner Helwig published the book "The Blue Flower of the Wandervogel" (''Die blaue Blume des Wandervogels'') a history of the youth movement. Within the movement, a number of folk songs used the motif.

The German student movement of the sixties

In Berlin in 1968, one slogan of the German student movement stated ''"Schlagt die Germanistik tot, färbt die blaue Blume rot!"'' ("Strike Germanistics dead, color the blue flower red!") The discipline of Germanistics was targeted as a sclerotic field, not suited to the needs of the people of the present.

Movies: "Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me"

In the movie follow-up to David Lynch's television series Twin Peaks, entitled , two FBI agents are informed about their upcoming task through a woman named Lil. On her lapel is a tiny, artificial blue rose, clearly symbolic of something; but when Sam asks, Chet simply replies, "But I can't tell you about that."

References

★ Werner Helwig: ''Die Blaue Blume des Wandervogels''. Deutscher Spurbuchverlag, 1998. ISBN 3-88778-208-9

External links