Hope is a crucial element of the Christian doctrine of salvation. Walter Nigg draws our attention to the immense significance of the expectation of salvation in the history of faith, in philosophy and in human life in general in his book »Geschichte der Hoffnung« (»The History of Hope«). In this fascinating investigation the author is also concerned with »the other side« of hope: peaks of joy and dramatic disappointment, faith and doubt are dangerously close together. And it is precisely here that Nigg recognises an exceptional potential: he regards this dichotomy as the source of all human creativity.