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Erratic thinker: Nietzsche evidently later used this draft of the title page of The Will to Power from the year 1885 or 1886 as a reference and shopping list. Image: Wikipedia Commons readers were concerned, however, he de- manded again and again that they “ruminate” on his books very carefully. Nietzsche was thirsty for recognition and approval. This is also one of the reasons why he wrote so much about his role models – such as the composer Richard Wagner, whom he first idolized and later polemicized against, not least in order to stylize himself as the real cultural innovator. But the commentary has now unveiled another Nietzsche. This discovery met with irritation even within the research team: “I don’t view Nietzsche as a representative of any kind of grand philosophical system anymore,” says Sommer. “He is more interesting to me when he remains experimental.” This does nothing to change Nietzsche’s sta- tus as an important albeit ambivalent philosophi- cal figure. Neymeyr values Nietzsche’s distance from all systems and his spontaneous, aphoristi- cally pithy style. “This can also stimulate our own thought processes and enable us to break out of thought routines.” Thus, Nietzsche re- mains compelling – with and through the com- mentary, which will take on fundamental significance as a reference work for an appropri- ate appraisal of his writings. Prof. Dr. Andreas Urs Sommer studied philoso- phy, ecclesiastical and dogmatic history, and German literature, before going on to earn his doctor- ate in 1998 at the Univer- sity of Basel, Switzerland, with a historical commen- tary on the philosophy of Nietzsche’s Antichrist. The next stage of his career included stints at Princeton University, USA, and at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Greif- swald, where he completed his habilitation in 2004. Sommer has served as a commentator for the Hei- delberg Academy of Sci- ences and Humanities research project Nietzsche Commentary since 2008 and as adjunct professor of philosophy at the Univer- sity of Freiburg since 2011. His research interests include the history of late antique, early modern, enlightenment, and modern philosophy. He is also inter- ested in the theoretical underpinnings of writings on the history of philosophy, skepticism and Stoicism, the philosophy or religion and history, ethics, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Prof. Dr. Barbara Neymeyr studied German literature, philosophy, Latin, and edu- cation at the University of Münster, earned her PhD with a dissertation on the philosophy of Arthur Scho- penhauer, and completed her habilitation project in 2000 on the Austrian au- thor Robert Musil. In 2006 she accepted a position as adjunct professor. She has served as a commentator for the Heidelberg Acad- emy of Sciences and Hu- manities research project Nietzsche Commentary since 2008. Neymeyr has long been fascinated by the creative links between philosophy and literature, an interest reflected among other things in her co- editing of a two-volume cultural history of Stoicism. Her principle areas of research include 18th through 20th century German literature and 19th century philosophy. Further Reading Schmidt, J. (2012): Kommentar zu Nietzsches „Die Geburt der Tragödie“. Berlin (= Histo- rischer und kritischer Kommentar zu Friedrich Nietzsches Werken 1/1). Sommer, A. U. (2012): Kommentar zu Ni- etzsches „Der Fall Wagner“ und „Götzen-Däm- merung“. Berlin (= Historischer und kritischer Kommentar zu Friedrich Nietzsches Werken 6/1). Neymeyr, B./Sommer, A. U. (Hrsg.) (2012): Ni- etzsche als Philosoph der Moderne. Heidelberg (= Akademiekonferenzen 9). readers were concerned, however, he de- manded again and again that they “ruminate” on his books very carefully. Nietzsche was thirsty for recognition and approval. This is also one of the reasons why he wrote so much about his role models – such as the composer Richard Wagner, whom he first cultural innovator. But the commentary has now unveiled another Nietzsche. This discovery met 38

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