Restoring the Republic of Letters Romain Rolland, Stefan Zweig and Transnational Community Building in Europe, 1914-34

After the First World War, many intellectuals were eager to contribute to the process of reconciliation and peacemaking in Europe. Although they held differing views on the future of the continent, they seemed to share a sense of urgency in dealing with the nationalist aggressions so clearly exposed by the catastrophe of war. Pacifist humanists most particularly made efforts to advocate communication and understanding among the nations previously at war with one another. A primary concern was the restoration of a transnational community of intellectuals. In this context, intellectuals revisited the ‘Republic of Letters’ as it had existed in earlier centuries as a model for community formation across frontiers.