Why did Heinrich Heine write The Romantic School for a French audience?

Heinrich Heine wrote The Romantic School (1833–35) with a French audience in mind, and the work was originally published in French.1

Heine conceived this study, along with his work on the history of religion and philosophy in Germany, as a means to criticize Germany's present and recent past. By addressing a French readership, he aimed to argue for the long-range revolutionary potential inherent in the German heritage—specifically through the lenses of the Reformation, the Enlightenment, and modern critical philosophy. Through these writings, he sought to foster a new balance between what he termed "spiritualism" and "sensualism," or "Nazarenism" and "Hellenism," to promote a more equitable and happier human society.1