The Nietzsche-Archiv

More about the book

The Villa Silberblick, where Friedrich Nietzsche spent his last years in mental decline, was originally a bourgeois residence. Nietzsche's sister, Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche, not only cared for the ailing philosopher but also directed the cult-like veneration of him for her own purposes, establishing the Nietzsche Archive in the building. With a focus on effective presentation and business acumen, she commissioned the Belgian Art Nouveau artist Henry van de Velde to transform the archive into a shrine to Nietzsche's cult following after his death. Initially a magnet for the European avant-garde, the archive was later steered by Elisabeth Förster-Nietzsche into alignment with the National Socialists, leading to its decline in the GDR. This volume narrates the tumultuous history of a memorial site that reflects the ambivalence of modernity, illustrated with numerous color images.