During the second half of the 19th century, Shakespeare rose to prominence in many German literary histories in the category of the "third classical German author" alongside J. W. Goethe and F. Schiller. This image of Shakespeare, as shaped by literary historiography, had a long-lasting impact on scholars regarding the German reception of his work throughout the 19th century. The post-Romantic period of his reception, considered academic, remained forgotten for a long time.

This study focuses on the processes and practices of Shakespeare's reception during the Vormärz period. It initially shows that discussions continued between 1815 and 1850 about the necessary conditions for establishing a national German theater and the emergence of a "second" Shakespeare on stage. The analysis of the various channels through which his works were disseminated (editions and translations, magazines, almanacs, anthologies, illustrated documents, critical studies, monographs) in the second part, testifies to the remarkable extent of this cultural transfer, while also offering an instructive perspective on the context of his reception.

The final part of the study is dedicated to the assimilation and normalization of Shakespeare by a broad German audience.