The 18th of June 2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, which heralded the end of Napoleonic rule. Waterloo not only signified the end, however. In this sense, Thomas Nipperdey’s dictum – “In the beginning was Napoleon” – also underlines the positive effects of Napoleonic rule for Germany and Europe. This interdisciplinary volume covers the multiple facets of the ruler Napoleon and illustrates in what way he influenced politics, history, literature, oenology, music and law. They highlight a historic personality who is still the subject of controversial debate today, but who ultimately inspired the history of European unification more than is sometimes assumed, and created the structural foundations for the future identity of Europe.weiterlesen