The significance of Stefan George (1868-1933) in the history of modern German poetry is not in doubt. So far, however, research on his work has concentrated on the earlier half of his production, up to and including »Der Siebente Ring«, to the relative neglect of the poetry that makes up the later stages of his oeuvre. This later work is notable for the challenging way it addresses topics such as sexuality, religion, poetology, and politics. This volume assembles the papers delivered at the Stefan George colloquium in Bingen am Rhein in December 1998.