SINTA Online Lecture Nostalgia, Revival and the Modern Quest for a Lost Golden Age

The modern quest for a lost Golden Age originates in the rise of European nation-states as world-class empires during the Renaissance period. I will look at three manifestations of this quest in three different media: the printed texts and images of early modern travel narratives, the audiovisual media of Third Reich propaganda, and the digital clips of “Bardcore” songs during the recent pandemic. As we will see, in all three, the twin motives of nostalgia and revival have played an indispensable role.