What does the Holy City of Messolonghi have in common with Dessau, the city known for the Bauhaus? The—probably little-known—poet Wilhelm Müller, a pioneer of German philhellenism. An ardent supporter of the 1821 Revolution, the «Müller of the Greeks,» as he was called, wrote 52 philhellenic poems, including four dedicated exclusively to Messolonghi.
Therefore, the joint initiative of the municipalities of Messolonghi, Dessau, and Roslau (as it is known today) and the Greek-German Assembly to promote historical memory was imperative. Its purpose is to create and present a work of art on the theme of Freedom in the modern era, which will remain in Messolonghi. Already, as part of the Municipality of Messolonghi’s «Artist in Residence» cultural program, the artist and photographer Tserina Kaps—selected through a competition—is being hosted. Also in 2023, the exhibition «From the Philhellene Wilhelm Müller to the Peaceful Revolution of 1989» will be organized.
The ardent philhellene drew inspiration for his poems about Messolonghi after being deeply moved by the siege and the complete destruction of that martyred city. He published them in 1826 in Dessau at his own expense, and donated the proceeds to the Greek struggle. These poems are: «The Fortress of Heaven,» «Mesolonghi Has Fallen,» «The New Mesolonghi,» and «The Resurrection of Mesolonghi.» In the last one, he writes characteristically: «Mesolonghi, have you fallen? No, you have not fallen; in a thunderous triumph, in the flames of lightning, you soared into the heavens… Come, you, kings of Christendom, come, take some of this ash and place it on your royal robes, and scatter it upon your crowns, over their gold and diamonds.’.
Miller had not lost heart, not even after the defeat at the Battle of Peta; and, wishing to inspire the struggle of the Greeks and the Philhellenes, he wrote in his poem «Markos Botsaris»: «Open your lofty gates, Messolonghi, City of Honor / where the bodies of the Heroes lie, teaching us to die with joy! […] / We bring to you the noble body of Markos Botsaris, / of Markos Botsaris! / Who would dare to complain to such heroes?».
The German poet also wrote an essay following Lord Byron’s death in Messolonghi in April 1824 —an event that naturally did not leave him unmoved—which begins with the phrase: «Lord Byron is dead! This news struck like a bolt from the blue in the streets of Messolonghi and everywhere throughout Greece and the world.».
But who was Müller? A passionate advocate and admirer of the Greek Revolution, he was born in 1794 in Dessau to poor parents and lost his mother at an early age. His father, a craftsman, managed, thanks to his second marriage, to get back on his feet financially and was able to send his son to the University of Berlin, where he studied literature. As a student, he took part in the wars against Napoleon. During an educational trip to Italy and Greece to collect ancient Greek inscriptions, he developed a deep sympathy for the Greek struggle for independence. He closely followed its progress, wrote articles in its support, and began composing the «Songs of the Greeks» even as the Revolution’s outcome was still uncertain. This first philhellenic collection of his sold out within six weeks. Even the great poet Heinrich Heine admired the «timeless freshness and youthful originality» of his poems.
The bard of 1821 became the most important representative, the prophet, and the soul of German philhellenism, and he was not deterred by the persecution he faced or the banning of his poems. He continued to write poems, publishing a total of six collections bearing the same title («The Songs of the Greeks») by 1826, in which he unreservedly supported the rebellious Greeks. By denouncing the political situation in Europe and Germany, he rallied the youth of the time, who opposed Metternich’s persecutions and authoritarianism, since they saw the Greek struggle for liberation as the model of a just struggle for freedom. In the poem «The Hope of Greece»—and elsewhere—Müller criticizes the attitude of the Europeans and the anti-Greek Holy Alliance: «Europe wants peace and quiet—why did you spoil them for them? / Do not hope for the help of any Lord, when it is directed against the joy of another Lord / Europe even names the cushions of the sultan’s throne.».
All of his poems were translated, making him famous throughout Europe. This is how he came to be known as the «Müller of the Greeks.» Among the works dedicated to the great tragic events or the heroes of the Revolution are also «The Sacred Company,» «Alexander Ypsilantis at Muncacs,» in which he compares him to Leonidas and the Spartans. His poem «The Little Man from Hydra» also stirred great emotion and became particularly popular in Germany, where it remains well-known to this day. He also wrote the poems «The Alliance with God» and «Chios» (which refer to the massacres on Chios), «Konstantinos Kanaris,» and many others.
Some of Müller’s poems were set to music by Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms. In Greece, the romantic song «The Flamouria» from Schubert’s collection of poems *Winter Journey* is well known. At the same time, he successfully translated into German and published in Leipzig in 1825 the «Greek Folk Songs» from the classic work by the—also unknown——Frenchman Claude Fourier, another of his great achievements.
In his iconic poem «Greece and the World,» Müller begins and ends with his two famous lines: «Without freedom, what would you be, Greece? Without you, Greece, what would the world be?».
The poet Wilhelm Müller did not live to see his beloved Greece free, as he died suddenly of a stroke in 1827 at the age of just 33.
