[aschreyer]

Maybe it is because the anglophiles assume that because they feel Shakespeare is such an outstanding figure in their own culture he must have the status in every other and cannot possible fathom something else. The truth is though, here in Germany (and surely in countries like France), Shakespeare is overwhelmingly known only through English media/culture such as TV shows, movies etc. and as far as I know not on any educational plan at all. Why would it be? There is such as vast amount of German writing (in the past at least) that one can easily do without him. I guess the problem is also that there was historically little overlap between English (i.e. British) and continental poetry (although translating Shakespeare into German was done by poets such as Schiller) and coincidentally, philosophy as well, at least that would be my impression.

[PinguTS]

I am from Jena, the root of the romantic movement and the chosen hometown of Schiller and workplace of Goethe. So, I had some of that stuff (Goethe, Schiller, Hegel, Schlegel, …) in school.