The Coppet group (''Groupe de Coppet''), also known as the Coppet circle, was an informal intellectual and literary gathering centred on

Germaine de Staël Anne Louise Germaine de Staël-Holstein (; ; 22 April 176614 July 1817), commonly known as Madame de Staël ( ; ), was a prominent philosopher, woman of letters, and political theorist in both Parisian and Genevan intellectual circles. She was ...

during the time period between the establishment of the Napoleonic First Empire (1804) and the Bourbon Restoration of 1814–1815. The name comes from Coppet Castle in Switzerland. The group, which broadly continued the activities of Madame de Staël's previous

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...

s, had a considerable influence on the development of nineteenth century

liberalism Liberalism is a Political philosophy, political and moral philosophy based on the Individual rights, rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality, the right to private property, and equality before the law. ...

and

romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...

Stendhal Marie-Henri Beyle (; 23 January 1783 – 23 March 1842), better known by his pen name Stendhal (, , ), was a French writer. Best known for the novels ''Le Rouge et le Noir'' ('' The Red and the Black'', 1830) and ''La Chartreuse de Parme'' ('' T ...

referred to the Coppet guests as "the Estates General of European opinion."

Participants

Around the core group which consisted of the hosts at Coppet Castle, the Necker family, that is

Jacques Necker Jacques Necker (; 30 September 1732 – 9 April 1804) was a Republic of Geneva, Genevan banker and statesman who served as List of Finance Ministers of France, finance minister for Louis XVI of France, Louis XVI. He was a reformer, but his innov ...

and his daughter, Germaine de Staël and her long time lover,

Benjamin Constant Henri-Benjamin Constant de Rebecque (25 October 1767 – 8 December 1830), or simply Benjamin Constant, was a Swiss and French political thinker, activist and writer on political theory and religion. A committed republican from 1795, Constant ...

, with her cousin by marriage, Albertine Necker de Saussure,

Wilhelm von Humboldt Friedrich Wilhelm Christian Karl Ferdinand von Humboldt (22 June 1767 – 8 April 1835) was a German philosopher, linguist, government functionary, diplomat, and founder of the Humboldt University of Berlin. In 1949, the university was named aft ...

, Jean de Sismondi, Charles Victor de Bonstetten, Prosper de Barante, Mathieu de Montmorency and

August Wilhelm Schlegel August Wilhelm von Schlegel (Schlegel until 1812; ; ; 8 September 176712 May 1845) was a German Indologist, poet, translator and critic. With his brother Friedrich Schlegel, he was a leading influence within Jena Romanticism. His translations o ...

, there was a stream of international men and women visitors of influence. These included: *Ernestine von Arco, madame Maximilian von Montgelas *

Odilon Barrot Camille Hyacinthe Odilon Barrot (; 19 July 1791 – 6 August 1873) was a French politician who was briefly head of the council of ministers under king Louis Phillipe in 1848–49. Early life Barrot was born at Villefort, Lozère. He belonged ...

* Louis de Beaupoil de Saint-Aulaire * Andrew Bell * Wilhelmine von Biron von Kurland, Herzogin von Sagan *Claude Ignace de Barante *

Joseph Bonaparte Joseph Bonaparte (born Giuseppe di Buonaparte, ; ; ; 7 January 176828 July 1844) was a French statesman, lawyer, diplomat and older brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. During the Napoleonic Wars, the latter made him King of Naples (1806–1808), an ...

Ludovico di Breme Ludovico di Breme (Turin, 1780 – Turin, 15 August 1820), whose complete name was Ludovico Arborio Gattinara dei Marchesi di Breme, was an Italian writer and thinker, as well as a contributor to Milan's principal Romantic journal, '' Il Conciliat ...

* Victor de Broglie *Sir

Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, (; 19 September 1778 – 7 May 1868) was a British statesman who became Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain and played a prominent role in passing the Reform Act 1832 and Slavery A ...

* Friederike Brun *

Lord Byron George Gordon Byron, 6th Baron Byron (22 January 1788 – 19 April 1824) was an English poet. He is one of the major figures of the Romantic movement, and is regarded as being among the greatest poets of the United Kingdom. Among his best-kno ...

* John Campbell, 1st Marquess of Breadalbane *

Adelbert von Chamisso Adelbert von Chamisso (; 30 January 1781 – 21 August 1838) was a German poet, writer and botanist. He was commonly known in French as Adelbert de Chamisso (or Chamissot) de Boncourt, a name referring to the family estate at Boncourt. Life ...

François-René de Chateaubriand François-René, vicomte de Chateaubriand (4 September 1768 – 4 July 1848) was a French writer, politician, diplomat and historian who influenced French literature of the nineteenth century. Descended from an old aristocratic family from Bri ...

Carl von Clausewitz Carl Philipp Gottlieb von Clausewitz ( , ; born Carl Philipp Gottlieb Clauswitz; 1 July 1780 – 16 November 1831) was a Kingdom of Prussia, Prussian general and Military theory, military theorist who stressed the "moral" (in modern terms meani ...

*Jean-Barthélémy Le Couteulx de Canteleu (1749-1818) *

Humphry Davy Sir Humphry Davy, 1st Baronet (17 December 177829 May 1829) was a British chemist and inventor who invented the Davy lamp and a very early form of arc lamp. He is also remembered for isolating, by using electricity, several Chemical element, e ...

* Jane Davy, born Kerr * Etienne Dumont *Mary Elliot * Sarah Sophia Fane, Countess of Jersey *Marc Etienne Frossard (1757-1815) *David François Gaudot (1756-1836) *Jean-Antoine Gauvin, dit Gallois (1761- 1828) *Charles de Gentil de Langalerie (1751–1835) * Joseph Marie de Gérando *

François Guizot François Pierre Guillaume Guizot (; 4 October 1787 – 12 September 1874) was a French historian, orator and Politician, statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics between the July Revolution, Revolution of 1830 and the Revoluti ...

* Emma, Lady Hamilton * Frederic-Cesar de La Harpe * John Cam Hobhouse * Claude Hochet * Charles Huchet de La Bédoyère *Carolina Friederica von Humboldt *Countess Dorota Barbara Jablonowska, Madame Józef Klemens Czartoryski *

Camille Jordan Marie Ennemond Camille Jordan (; 5 January 1838 – 22 January 1922) was a French mathematician, known both for his foundational work in group theory and for his influential ''Cours d'analyse''. Biography Jordan was born in Lyon and educated at ...

* Arnail François, marquis de Jaucourt *Wiktor Pavlovich Kotschubei *Juliane von Krüdener * Alexandre de Laborde *

Alphonse de Lamartine Alphonse Marie Louis de Prat de Lamartine (; 21 October 179028 February 1869) was a French author, poet, and statesman. Initially a moderate royalist, he became one of the leading critics of the July Monarchy of Louis-Philippe, aligning more w ...

* Matthew Gregory Lewis *Aline Lugo *Jacob Frédéric Lullin de Châteauvieux *Sir

James Mackintosh Sir James Mackintosh FRS FRSE (24 October 1765 – 30 May 1832) was a Scottish jurist, Whig politician and Whig historian. His studies and sympathies embraced many interests. He was trained as a doctor and barrister, and worked also as a jo ...

*Louis Manuel * Friedrich von Matthisson *Luise von Matthisson *Jakob Heinrich Meister * Francesco Melzi d'Eril * Dorothea Mendelssohn * John Izard Middleton * Johannes von Müller *Alexis de Noville * Adam Gottlob Oehlenschläger *

Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne (2 July 178031 January 1863), known as Lord Henry Petty from 1784 to 1809, was a British statesman. In a ministerial career spanning nearly half a century, he notably served as Home Secretary a ...

* Charles Pictet de Rochemont * Alfonso Pignatelli de Aragon * Gennaro Pignatelli, principe di Belmonte * John William Polidori * Stanisław Kostka Potocki *

Jan Potocki Count Jan Potocki (; 8 March 1761 – 23 December 1815) was a Polish nobleman, ethnologist, linguist, traveller and author of the Enlightenment period, whose life and exploits made him a celebrated figure in Poland. He is known chiefly for his ...

* Prince Augustus of Prussia * Charles-Victor Prévot, vicomte d'Arlincourt * Juliette Récamier *Guillaume Anne de Constant Rebecque, seigneur de Villars (1750-1832) * François Dominique de Reynaud, Comte de Montlosier * Adolph Ribbing *

Carl Ritter Carl Ritter (August 7, 1779September 28, 1859) was a German geographer. Along with Alexander von Humboldt, he is considered one of the founders of modern geography, as they established it as an independent scientific discipline. From 1825 until ...

* Albert de Rocca * Samuel Rogers *Sarah Rogers, sister of Samuel Rogers *Sir Samuel Romilly *Elzéar de Sabran (1774-1846) * Aleksander Antoni Sapieha *

Pedro de Sousa Holstein, 1st Duke of Palmela Dom Pedro de Sousa Holstein, 1st Duke of Faial and Palmela (8 May 1781–12 October 1850) was one of the most important Portuguese diplomats and statesmen in the first half of the 19th century. He also served as the country's first modern Pri ...

*Spalding sisters * Jean-Baptiste-Antoine Suard *

Christian Friedrich Tieck Christian Friedrich Tieck (14 August 1776 – 24 May 1851), often known only as Friedrich Tieck, was a German sculptor and a occasional artist in oils. His work was primarily figurative and includes both public statuary and private commissions ...

*Prince Peter Iwanowitsch Tufiakin * Henry Vassall-Fox, 3rd Baron Holland * Zacharias Werner * Charles de Villers * George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey * Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun * Caspar Voght

Participants

See also

References

Further reading