The German term Gründerzeit - often also referred to as the Gründerjahre - generally refers to the period that began with the founding of the German Empire in 1871 and ended in 1914 with the outbreak of the First World War. In its formal language, the Gründerzeit was associated with historicism, was thus oriented to neo-Baroque ideas and ideals and testifies to a great interest in historical and mythological themes.