Dante can be understood only within the context of Italian thought, and Faust would be unthinkable if divorced from its German background; but both are part of our common cultural heritage.

History uses a unit of measure for time that is different from that of the lifespan of the individual, whereas man is only too ready to measure the evolution of history by his own yardstick.

The economic position is only flourishing on the surface. Germany is in fact dancing on a volcano. If the short-term credits are called in, a large section of our economy would collapse.

In every man the memory of the struggles and the heroes of the past is alive. But these memories are not incompatible with the desire for peace in the future.

To contrast national solidarity and international cooperation as two opposites seems foolish to me.

As a result of the World War, this old Germany collapsed. It collapsed in its constitution, in its social order, in its economic structure. Its thinking and feeling changed.

To walk behind others on a road you are traveling together, to give precedence to others without envy - this is painful for an individual and painful for a nation.

Here we encounter two conflicting concepts with which we must come to grips in our time: the idea of national solidarity and the idea of international cooperation.

Just as a child respects his father even when he perceives his weaknesses and faults, so a German will not despise the old Germany which was once a symbol of greatness to him.

Just as the child is father to the man, so the impressions of one's youth remain the most vivid in manhood.

For the victor peace means the preservation of the position of power which he has secured. For the vanquished it means resigning himself to the position left to him.

A butterfly is a caterpillar who never gave up on his dream to fly.

The more rational we are, the more emotional we can be.

Only a man could come up with something so ruthless, so essentially stupid and yet brutally effective.

If rise of sun from east and fall in the west is the indicator of God’s existence

I think fiction writers write what they do because no one else has written it and they want to read it.

I was undone by my Auxiliary; when I had once called him in, I could not subsist without Dependance on him.

I am very interested in people trying to write because I don't have a big academic background at all.

With God, what is terrible is that one never knows whether it's not just a trick of the devil.

The blessings of one mountain day, whatever his fate, long life, short life, stormy or calm, he is rich forever.

And, after all, the Athanasian Creed is light and comprehensible reading in comparison with much that now passes for science.