The philosophical work of Nietzsche has provided central impulses to the intellectual life of the 20th century, and the interest surrounding it continues to grow, as evidenced by a multitude of recent studies. His discourse on the relationship between historical education and life itself also addresses a question that remains relevant and finds ever new and different answers. To what extent does a unilateral engagement with the past corrupt the notion of true education and paralyze creative forces? When and how does historical consciousness serve life, and when is its influence detrimental? Nietzsche gives his own answer by combating historicism, which seemed to dominate the education of his time, and by writing a text that is rich in content and brilliant in style.