Folk hero

As a national hero to describe people who are part of the political myth of a nation. Well-known examples are William Wallace in Scotland, Jeanne d' Arc in France or William Tell in Switzerland.

The myth of a national hero idealized person is used to personalize the story. The complexity of historical and political processes will be hidden in this way from the history of a society and reduced to a few factors. The appeal to a national hero creates the impression of a historical tradition and continuity, " so that the present is seen as a result of the performance of idealized mythical person ". Thus the narrative of national heroes and other political myths fulfills a meaningful function for the community. As an " educator of the whole people" are the national heroes with their stylized model and its historical performance offer the members of the nation a practical orientation.

In Germany, the stylization of Arminius a national hero Hermann the Cherusker one of the important elements of the emergence of a German state and national consciousness since the early modern period. In the 19th century the growing national movement took advantage of well-known people from German history in order to honor these individuals celebrate and dedicate monuments. This cultural-historical events received national political significance. The construction of the Hermann Monument in honor of Arminius from 1838 is the most famous example. Play a similar role the Gutenberg Festival 1837 in Mainz, the dedication of monuments to Schiller 1839 in Stuttgart, for Dürer in Nuremberg in 1840 or Bach in Leipzig in 1843, in which the middle classes could pose as a national society.

A similar role as " Hermann the Cherusker " for the Germans took for the French nation, especially in the late 19th century, the legendary Gallierhäuptling Vercingetorix one.

In some countries, is or was a national hero also the name for a Merit ( cf. Hero of the GDR ).