Mathematics plays an important part in Novalis's work that has been underappreciated until now. This study reconstructs and contextualizes Novalis's sources and analyzes selected passages from Notes for a Romantic Encyclopedia ( Das Allgemeine Brouillon ) and from his novel fragment Heinrich von Ofterdingen . It presents Novalis's treatment of mathematics as being at once scientifically informed and truly poetic.


Franziska Bomski , Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Germany.