Art and Design Commons^™

Barbarossapokalypse, Amanda M. Glass

Honors Projects

Barbarossapokalypse is a short animated film that explores the mindset behind “sleeping king” legends. Frederick Barbarossa was a Holy Roman Emperor who was particularly popular with his public. After his death, people longed for a return to the “good old days” of his reign. He became a cultural icon for the German people; a symbol of hope, of a better future.

While in general, the future often looks grim, hope is not something humanity can afford to lose. What matters is where that hope is drawn from. Symbols like Barbarossa are dangerous, as they can lead to people always looking …