Since the nineteenth century, numerous writers have addressed the dark side of Romanticism. Not just the realm of fantasy and dreams, but the lure of “pleasurable horror”—the temptation of evil in the form of devils or demons, beautiful mermaids or femme fatales—has also inspired them to write fascinating stories. However, in collections of fairy tales and sagas, such as the Brothers Grimm, readers have also encountered gloomy, frightening tales, such as The Juniper Tree. In this collection of selected, exquisite stories, readers will find—alongside relatively unknown works of “Dark Romanticism”—famous classic tales by authors such as Edgar Allan Poe or E. T. A. Hoffmann. This publication provides literary insight into Romanticism and is a source of ideas for everyone, not just artists, people engaged in the cultural sector, and littérateurs. In conjunction with this exhibition a catalogue (English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3373-1) and an audio guide in the Art to Hear series (English edition ISBN 978-3-7757-3377-9) are also available. Exhibition schedule: Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main, September 26, 2012–January 20, 2013