Among the German political poets of the Vormärz (Pre-March), the revolutionary years preceding the European March revolutions of 1848, Georg Herwegh probably was the most popular. The two volumes of his Gedichte eines Lebendigen (Poems of a Living Person, 1841, 1843) hit the nerve of the time and catapulted him into the front rank of those who advocated freedom and a just social order. A handsome, charismatic appearance, together with a gift for writing rousing poems that appealed to the masses, added to his prominence.

Even before the publication of these successful volumes, Herwegh had been active as a contributor of poems, essays, and critical articles to various literary magazines. In these early writings the poet delineated the topics that were to dominate his entire professional career. Foremost is the call for personal freedom and national unity. Herwegh also defends German classical literature, especially works of Friedrich Schiller and...