Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Born	28 August 1749(1749-08-28) Free City of Frankfurt, Holy Roman Empire
Died	22 March 1832 (aged 82) Weimar, Germany
Occupation	Poet, Novelist, Playwright, Natural Philosopher, Diplomat
Nationality	German
Writing period	Romanticism
Literary movement	Sturm und Drang; Weimar Classicism
Notable work(s)	Faust; The Sorrows of Young Werther; Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship
Spouse(s)	Christiane Vulpius
Influences Gellert, Hafez, Herder, Homer, Ossian, Klopstock, Lessing, Rousseau, Shakespeare, Schelling, Schiller, Spinoza, Winckelmann
Influenced IqbalLamarck, Darwin, Hegel, Schopenhauer, Carlyle, Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Nikola Tesla, Turgenev, Steiner, Mann, Hesse, André Gide, Cassirer, Jung, Spengler, Wittgenstein, Grass

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (help·info) IPA: [ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə], (in English generally pronounced /ˈgɝːtə/;^[1] 28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German writer. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1749 ( MDCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a For almost five centuries the German city of Frankfurt am Main was a city-state within two major Germanic states The Holy Roman Empire as the Free The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald, Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Employment is a Contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. A poet is a person who writes Poetry. Etymology From the Ancient greek: ποιέω, poieō: "I make or compose" A novel (from Italian novella, Spanish novela, French nouvelle for "new" "news" or "short story A playwright, also known as a dramatist, is a person who writes dramatic literature or Drama. For the current in the 19th century German idealism see Naturphilosophie Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature (from Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting Negotiations between representatives of groups or states Nationality is a relationship between a Person and their State of Origin, Culture, association Affiliation and/or Loyalty Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the This is a list of modern literary movements: that is movements after the Renaissance. Weimar Classicism ( German “ Weimarer Klassik ” and “ Weimarer Klassizismus ” is a cultural and Literary movement of Europe Johanna Christiana Sophie Vulpius ( Weimar, 1 June 1765 &ndash Weimar, 6 June 1816) was the Mistress and Christian Fürchtegott Gellert ( July 4, 1715 &ndash December 13, 1769) was a German Poet. Khwāja Šamsu d-Dīn Muḥammad Hāfez-e Šīrāzī, or simply Hāfez ( was a Persian mystic and Poet. Johann Gottfried von Herder ( August 25, 1744 December 18, 1803) was a German philosopher, Poet, and Literary Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Ossian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (ˈklɔpʃtɔk July 2, 1724 &ndash March 14, 1803) was a German Poet. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing ( 22 January, 1729 15 February, 1781) was a German Writer, Philosopher, Dramatist William Shakespeare ( baptised Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling ( January 27, 1775 – August 20, 1854) later von Schelling, was a German Philosopher Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher Baruch or Benedict de Spinoza (ברוך שפינוזה Bento de Espinosa Benedictus de Spinoza ( November 24, 1632 – February 21, Johann Joachim Winckelmann ( December 9, 1717 - June 8, 1768) a German Art historian and Archaeologist, Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet Chevalier de Lamarck ( August 1, 1744 &ndash December 18, 1829) was a French Soldier Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Thomas Carlyle (4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881 was a Scottish essayist satirist and historian whose work was highly influential during the Victorian era. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (ˈsœːɐn ˈkʰiɐ̯kəˌɡ̊ɒˀ in Danish Anglicized as;) Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist There have already been discussions about Tesla's ethnicity on the talk page Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev ( ɪˈvan sʲɪrˈgʲeɪvʲɪtɕ turˈgʲenʲɪf ( &ndash) was a Russian novelist and playwright Rudolf Steiner ( 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher literary scholar educator artist playwright Paul Thomas Mann ( June Hermann Hesse (ˈhɛʀman ˈhɛsə ( 2 July, 1877 — 9 August, 1962) was a German - Swiss poet novelist and painter Ernst Cassirer ( July 28, 1874 &ndash April 13, 1945) was a German Jewish Philosopher. Oswald Arnold Gottfried Spengler (29 May 1880 Blankenburg am Harz &ndash 8 May 1936 Munich) was a German Historian and Philosopher whose Günter Wilhelm Grass (born 16 October 1927 is a Nobel Prize -winning German Author and Playwright. Events 475 - The Roman General Orestes forces western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos to flee his Capital Year 1749 ( MDCCXLIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Events 238 - Gordian I and his son Gordian II are proclaimed Roman emperor. Year 1832 ( MDCCCXXXII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. George Eliot called him "Germany's greatest man of letters… and the last true polymath to walk the earth. Mary Ann (Marian Evans ( 22 November 1819 – 22 December 1880) better known by her Pen name George Eliot, was an A polymath ( Greek polymathēs, πολυμαθής "having learned much" is a person whose knowledge is not restricted to one subject area "^[2] Goethe's works span the fields of poetry, drama, literature, theology, humanism, and science. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal Science (from the Latin scientia, meaning " Knowledge " or "knowing" is the effort to discover, and increase human understanding Goethe's magnum opus, lauded as one of the peaks of world literature, is the two-part drama Faust. Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera) from the Latin meaning great work, refers to the best the greatest Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's Faust is a tragic play. It was published in two parts de Faust der Tragödie erster Teil (translated ^[3] Goethe's other well-known literary works include his numerous poems, the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther. A bildungsroman (ˈbɪldʊŋsroˌmaːn "novel of formation" is a Novelistic genre that arose during the German Enlightenment (and is regarded by some as Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre is the second Novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, published in 1795-96 An epistolary novel German Briefroman ---> is a Novel written as a series of documents The Sorrows of Young Werther ( Die Leiden des jungen Werthers) is an epistolary and loosely Autobiographical Novel by Johann Wolfgang

Goethe was one of the key figures of German literature and the movement of Weimar Classicism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; this movement coincides with Enlightenment, Sentimentality (Empfindsamkeit), Sturm und Drang, and Romanticism. German literature comprises those literary texts written in the German language. Weimar Classicism ( German “ Weimarer Klassik ” and “ Weimarer Klassizismus ” is a cultural and Literary movement of Europe The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century Sentimentality is both a literary device used to induce a tender emotional response disproportionate to the situation and thus to substitute heightened and generally uncritical feeling Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the The author of the scientific text Theory of Colours, he influenced Darwin^[4] with his focus on plant morphology. Theory of Colours (original German title Zur Farbenlehre) is a book by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published in 1810 Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism ^[5] He also long served as the Privy Councilor ("Geheimrat") of the duchy of Weimar. Geheimrat was the title of the highest officials of a German royal or principal court and also of very eminent professors in some German universities A duchy is a territory fief, or domain ruled by a Duke or Duchess. Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald,

Goethe is the originator of the concept of Weltliteratur ("world literature"), having taken great interest in the literatures of England, France, Italy, classical Greece, Persia, Arabic literature, amongst others. World literature refers to literature from all over the world including African literature, Arabic literature, American literature, Asian literature The term English literature refers to Literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by Writers not necessarily from This article is a general introduction to French literature For detailed information on French literature in specific historic periods see the separate historical articles in the Ancient Greek literature refers to Literature written in the Greek language until the 4th century AD Persian literature ( spans two and a half millennia though much of the pre- Islamic material has been lost Arabic literature ( Arabic: الأدب العربي Al-Adab Al-Arabi) is the writing produced both Prose and Poetry, by speakers His influence on German philosophy is virtually immeasurable, having major impact especially on the generation of Hegel and Schelling, although Goethe himself expressly and decidedly refrained from practicing philosophy in the rarefied sense. German philosophy, here taken to mean either (1 Philosophy in the German language or (2 Philosophy by Germans has been extremely diverse and central Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language

Goethe's influence spread across Europe, and for the next century his works were a major source of inspiration in music, drama, poetry and philosophy. Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Philosophy is the study of general problems concerning matters such as existence knowledge truth beauty justice validity mind and language Goethe is considered by many to be the most important writer in the German language and one of the most important thinkers in Western culture as well. Western culture (sometimes equated with Western Civilization) are terms which are used to refer to Cultures of European origin Early in his career, however, he wondered whether painting might not be his true vocation; late in his life, he expressed the expectation that he would ultimately be remembered above all for his work in optics. Theory of Colours (original German title Zur Farbenlehre) is a book by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published in 1810

Biography

Early life

Goethe's birthplace in Frankfurt, Germany (Großer Hirschgraben)

Goethe's father, Johann Caspar Goethe (Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 29 July 1710 – Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 25 May 1782), lived with his family in a large house in Frankfurt am Main, then an Imperial Free City of the Holy Roman Empire. Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1710 ( MDCCX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1782 ( MDCCLXXXII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In the Holy Roman Empire, a free imperial city (in German: freie Reichsstadt) was a City formally ruled by the Emperor only &mdash The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Goethe's mother, Catharina Elisabeth Textor (Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 19 February 1731 – Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 15 September 1808), the daughter of the Mayor of Frankfurt Johann Wolfgang Textor (Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 11 December 1693 – Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 6 February 1771) and wife (married at Wetzlar, 2 February 1726) Anna Margaretha Lindheimer (Wetzlar, 23 July 1711 – Frankfurt-am-Main, Hessen, 18 April 1783, a descendant of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Henry III, Landgrave of Hesse-Marburg), married 38-year-old Johann Caspar when she was only 17 at Frankfurt am Main on 20 August 1748. Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 197 - Roman Emperor Septimius Severus defeats usurper Clodius Albinus in the Battle of Lugdunum Year 1731 ( MDCCXXXI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 359 - Honoratus, the first known Prefect of the City of Constantinople, takes office Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 46 BC - Julius Caesar defeats the combined army of Pompeian followers and Numidians under Metellus Scipio Year 1771 ( MDCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Wetzlar is a town in the German federal state ( Bundesland) of Hesse, capital of the Lahn-Dill district Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1726 ( MDCCXXVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Wetzlar is a town in the German federal state ( Bundesland) of Hesse, capital of the Lahn-Dill district Events 1632 - Three hundred colonists bound for New France depart from Dieppe France. Year 1711 ( MDCCXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Hesse (Hessen is a state of Germany with an area Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 1783 ( MDCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or Lucas Cranach the Elder ( Lucas Cranach der Ältere, 4 October 1472 &ndash 16 October 1553) was a German painter Events 636 - Battle of Yarmouk: Arab forces led by Khalid ibn al-Walid take control of Syria and Palestine Year 1748 ( MDCCXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a All their children, except for Goethe and his sister, Cornelia Friederike Christiana, who was born in 1750, died at an early age.

Johann Caspar and private tutors gave Goethe lessons in all the common subjects of that time, especially languages (Latin, Greek, French and English). Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Goethe also received lessons in dancing, riding and fencing. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic For the Roman class see Equestrian (Roman Equestrianism refers to the skill of riding or driving Horses This broad description Fencing is the art of armed Combat involving Cutting, Stabbing, or slapping bludgeoning Weapons directly manipulated by hand Johann Caspar was the type of father who, feeling frustrated in his own ambitions by what he saw as a deficiency of educational advantages, was determined that his children would have all those advantages which he had not had. Goethe had a persistent dislike of the church, characterizing its history as a "hotchpotch of mistakes and violence" (Mischmasch von Irrtum und Gewalt). His great passion was drawing. Drawing is a Visual art that makes use of any number of drawing instruments to mark a two-dimensional medium Goethe quickly became interested in literature; Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock and Homer were among his early favourites. Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock (ˈklɔpʃtɔk July 2, 1724 &ndash March 14, 1803) was a German Poet. Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the He had a lively devotion to theatre as well and was greatly fascinated by puppet shows that were annually arranged in his home; a familiar theme in Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre is the second Novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, published in 1795-96

Legal career

Goethe studied law in Leipzig from 1765 to 1768. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society This sort of fix restores section edit linkpoints to where they belong Learning age-old judicial rules by heart was something he strongly detested. He preferred to attend the poetry lessons of Christian Fürchtegott Gellert. Christian Fürchtegott Gellert ( July 4, 1715 &ndash December 13, 1769) was a German Poet. In Leipzig, Goethe fell in love with Käthchen Schönkopf and wrote cheerful verses about her in the Rococo genre. Rococo is a style of 18th century French art and Interior design. In 1770, he anonymously released Annette, his first collection of poems. His uncritical admiration for many contemporary poets vanished as he became interested in Lessing and Wieland. Gotthold Ephraim Lessing ( 22 January, 1729 15 February, 1781) was a German Writer, Philosopher, Dramatist Christoph Martin Wieland ( September 5, 1733 &ndash January 20, 1813) was a German Poet and writer Already at this time, Goethe wrote a good deal, but he threw away nearly all of these works, except for the comedy Die Mitschuldigen. The restaurant Auerbachs Keller and its legend of Faust's 1525 barrel ride impressed him so much that Auerbachs Keller became the only real place in his closet drama Faust Part One. Auerbachs Keller ( Auerbach's Cellar in English is the best known and second oldest restaurant in Leipzig. Dr Johann Georg Faust (1466? &ndash c 1540 was an itinerant alchemist, Astrologer and magician of the German Renaissance. A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a small group perhaps in a small room called Faust The First Part of the Tragedy is the first part of Goethe's Faust. Because his studies did not progress, Goethe was forced to return to Frankfurt at the close of August 1768.

In Frankfurt, Goethe became severely ill. During the next year and a half which followed, because of several relapses, the relationship with his father worsened. During convalescence, Goethe was nursed by his mother and sister. Bored in bed, he wrote an impudent crime comedy. In April 1770, his father lost his patience; Goethe left Frankfurt in order to finish his studies in Strasbourg. Strasbourg (Strasbourg stʁazbuʁ Alsatian: Strossburi,; Straßburg) is the capital and principal City of the Alsace région

In Alsace, Goethe blossomed. Alsace (Alsace alzas Alsatian and Elsass pre-1996 German: Elsaß; Alsatia is one of the 26 Regions of France, located on the eastern No other landscape has he described as affectionately as the warm, wide Rhine area. In Strasbourg, Goethe met Johann Gottfried Herder, who happened to be in town on the occasion of an eye operation. Johann Gottfried von Herder ( August 25, 1744 December 18, 1803) was a German philosopher, Poet, and Literary The two became close friends, and crucially to Goethe's intellectual development, it was Herder who kindled his interest in Shakespeare, Ossian and in the notion of Volkspoesie (folk poetry). Ossian is the narrator and supposed author of a cycle of poems which the Scottish poet James Macpherson claimed to have translated from ancient sources in the On a trip to the village Sesenheim, Goethe fell in love with Friederike Brion, but, after a couple of weeks, terminated the relationship. Several of his poems, like Willkommen und Abschied, Sesenheimer Lieder and Heideröslein, originate from this time.

Despite being based on his own ideas, his legal thesis was published uncensored. A dissertation (also called thesis or disquisition) is a document that presents the author's Research and findings and is submitted in support of candidature Shortly after, he was offered a career in the French government. The government of France is a Semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the fifth Republic, in which the nation declares Goethe rejected it; he did not want to commit himself, but to instead remain an "original genius".

At the end of August 1771, Goethe was certified as a licensee in Frankfurt. This article is about the Common law concept of a licensee see here for information on Licenses A licensee is a term used He wanted to make the jurisdiction progressively more humane. In Law, jurisdiction (from the Latin ius iuris meaning "law" and dicere meaning "to speak" is the practical Authority In his first cases, he proceeded too vigorously, was reprimanded and lost the position. This prematurely terminated his career as a lawyer after only a few months. At this time, Goethe was acquainted with the court of Darmstadt, where his inventiveness was praised. A court is a forum used by a power base to adjudicate disputes and dispense civil, labour administrative and criminal Justice under its Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland From this milieu came Johann Georg Schlosser (who was later to become his brother-in-law) and Johann Heinrich Merck. A brother-in-law is one's sister's husband or one's spouse's brother Johann Heinrich Merck ( April 11, 1741 &ndash June 27, 1791) German author and Critic, was born at Darmstadt Goethe also pursued literary plans again; this time, his father did not have anything against it, and even helped. Goethe obtained a copy of the biography of a noble highwayman from the Peasants' War. A biography (from the Greek words bíos (βίος meaning "life" and gráphein (γράφειν meaning "to write" is an account Nobility is a government-privileged title which may be either hereditary (see Hereditary titles) or for a lifetime The word highwayman is first attested from the year 1617 The term "highwayman" is mainly applied to robbers who travelled on horseback as opposed to those who robbed on foot For other conflicts referred to as peasant wars or revolts see Peasant revolt (disambiguation. In a couple of weeks the biography was reworked into a colourful drama. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance. Entitled Götz von Berlichingen, the work went directly to the heart of Goethe's contemporaries. Götz von Berlichingen is a successful 1773 drama by Goethe, based on the memoirs of the historical adventurer-poet Götz von Berlichingen (ca

Goethe. Painting by Luise Seidler (Weimar 1811)

Goethe could not subsist on being one of the editors of a literary periodical (published by Schlosser and Merck). In May 1772 he once more began the practice of law at Wetzlar. Wetzlar is a town in the German federal state ( Bundesland) of Hesse, capital of the Lahn-Dill district In 1774 Goethe wrote the book which would bring him world-wide fame, The Sorrows of Young Werther. The Sorrows of Young Werther ( Die Leiden des jungen Werthers) is an epistolary and loosely Autobiographical Novel by Johann Wolfgang Despite the immense success of Werther, it did not bring Goethe much financial gain — copyright law at the time being essentially nonexistent. (In later years Goethe would bypass this problem by periodically authorizing "new, revised" editions of his Complete Works^[6]. )

Early years in Weimar

In 1775 Goethe was invited, on the strength of his fame as the author of The Sorrows of Young Werther, to the court of Carl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. The Sorrows of Young Werther ( Die Leiden des jungen Werthers) is an epistolary and loosely Autobiographical Novel by Johann Wolfgang Karl August Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach ( 3 September 1757 - 14 June 1828) was a duke of Saxe-Weimar and of Saxe-Eisenach (The Duke at the time was 18 years of age, to Goethe's 26. ) Goethe thus went to live in Weimar where he remained throughout the rest of his life, and where, over the course of many years, he held a succession of offices; becoming the Duke's chief adviser. Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald,

Goethe, aside from official duties, was also a friend and confidant to the Duke, and participated fully in the activities of the court. For Goethe, his first ten years at Weimar could well be described as a garnering of a degree and range of experience which perhaps could be achieved in no other way. Goethe was ennobled in 1782 (this being indicated by the "von" in his name). Ennoblement is the conferring of Nobility —the induction of an individual into the noble class.

Italy

Goethe's journey to the Italian peninsula from 1786 to 1788 was of great significance in his æsthetical and philosophical development. Th Italian Peninsula or Apennine Peninsula (Penisola italiana or Penisola appenninica) is one of the three Peninsulas of Southern Europe His father had made a similar journey during his own youth, and his example was a major motivating factor for Goethe to make the trip. More importantly, however, the work of Johann Joachim Winckelmann had provoked a general renewed interest in the classical art of ancient Greece and Rome. Johann Joachim Winckelmann ( December 9, 1717 - June 8, 1768) a German Art historian and Archaeologist, The art of ancient Greece has exercised an enormous influence on the culture of many countries from ancient times until the present particularly in the areas of Sculpture Roman art includes the visual arts produced in Ancient Rome, and in the territories of the Roman empire. Thus Goethe's journey had something of the nature of a pilgrimage to it. During the course of his trip Goethe met and befriended the artists Angelica Kauffmann and Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, as well as encountering such notable characters as Lady Hamilton and Alessandro Cagliostro (see Affair of the Diamond Necklace). Maria Anna Angelika/Angelica Katharina Kauffmann ( October 30, 1741 &ndash November 5, 1807) was a Swiss-Austrian painter. Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, also known as Goethe-Tischbein (born 15 February 1751 in Haina; died 26 February 1828 Emma Lady Hamilton (born 1761 baptised 26 April 1765 &ndash 15 January 1815 is best remembered as the mistress of Lord Nelson and as the muse of George Count Alessandro di Cagliostro ( 2 June, 1743 – 26 August, 1795) was the alias for the Occultist Giuseppe Balsamo The Affair of the Diamond Necklace was a mysterious incident in the 1780s at the court of Louis XVI of France involving his wife Queen Marie Antoinette

He also journeyed to Sicily during this time, and wrote intriguingly that "To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to not have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything. " While in Sicily, Goethe encountered, for the first time genuine Greek (as opposed to Roman) architecture, and was quite startled by its relative simplicity. Winckelmann had not recognized the distinctness of the two styles.

Goethe's diaries of this period form the basis of the non-fiction Italian Journey. Italian Journey (in the German original Italienische Reise) is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's report on a his 1786/87 travels to Italy published in Italian Journey only covers the first year of Goethe's visit. The remaining year is largely undocumented, aside from the fact that he spent much of it in Venice. Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the This "gap in the record" has been the source of much speculation over the years.

In the decades which immediately followed its publication in 1816 Italian Journey inspired countless German youths to follow Goethe's example. This is pictured, somewhat satirically, in George Elliot's Middlemarch. George Elliot may refer to George Eliot, pen name of Mary Ann Evans (1819&ndash1880 English novelist George Elliot (admiral (1784&ndash1863 Middlemarch is a Novel by George Eliot, the pen name of Mary Anne Evans later Marian Evans

Weimar

In late 1792, Goethe took part in the battle of Valmy against revolutionary France, assisting Duke Carl August of Saxe-Weimar during the failed invasion of France. The Battle of Valmy, also known as the Cannonade of Valmy, was a tactically indecisive artillery engagement but strategically it ensured the survival of the French The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Karl August Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach ( 3 September 1757 - 14 June 1828) was a duke of Saxe-Weimar and of Saxe-Eisenach Saxe -Weimar (Sachsen-Weimar was a Duchy in Thuringia, Germany. Again during the Siege of Mainz he assisted Carl August as a military observer. In the Siege of Mainz (Belagerung von Mainz from 14 April &ndash 23 July 1793, a coalition of Prussia, Austria, and other His written account of these events can be found within his Complete Works.

In 1794 Friedrich Schiller wrote to Goethe offering friendship; they had previously had only a mutually wary relationship ever since first becoming acquainted in 1788. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher This collaborative friendship lasted until Schiller's death in 1805.

In 1806, Goethe was living in Weimar with his mistress Christiane Vulpius, the sister of Christian A. Vulpius, and their son Karl August. Johanna Christiana Sophie Vulpius ( Weimar, 1 June 1765 &ndash Weimar, 6 June 1816) was the Mistress and Christian August Vulpius ( January 23, 1762 - June 25, 1827) German novelist and dramatist was born at Weimar, and was On October 13, Napoleon's army invaded the town. Events 54 - Nero ascends to the Roman throne 409 - Vandals and Alans crossed the Pyrenees Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. The French "spoon guards", the least-disciplined soldiers, occupied Goethe's house. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics.

The 'spoon guards' had broken in, they had drunk wine, made a great uproar and called for the master of the house. Goethe's secretary Riemer reports: 'Although already undressed and wearing only his wide nightgown … he descended the stairs towards them and inquired what they wanted from him … . His dignified figure, commanding respect, and his spiritual mien seemed to impress even them. ' But it was not to last long. Late at night they burst into his bedroom with drawn bayonets. Goethe was petrified, Christiane raised a lot of noise and even tangled with them, other people who had taken refuge in Goethe's house rushed in, and so the marauders eventually withdrew again. It was Christiane who commanded and organized the defense of the house on the Frauenplan. The barricading of the kitchen and the cellar against the wild pillaging soldiery was her work. Goethe noted in his diary: "Fires, rapine, a frightful night … Preservation of the house through steadfastness and luck. " The luck was Goethe's, the steadfastness was displayed by Christiane.

– Schopenhauer and the Wild Years of Philosophy, Ch. 5^[7]

The next day, Goethe legitimized their relationship by marrying Christiane in a quiet marriage service at the court chapel. Christiane Vulpius and Goethe produced a son, Karl August von Goethe (25 December 1789 – 28 October 1830), whose wife, Ottilie von Pogwisch (31 October 1796 – 26 October 1872), cared for the elder Goethe until his death in 1832. Events 274 - Roman Emperor Aurelian Year 1789 ( MDCCLXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 306 - Maxentius is proclaimed Roman Emperor. 312 - Battle of Milvian Bridge: Constantine For the game see 1830 (board game. Year 1830 ( MDCCCXXX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 1796 ( MDCCXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death Year 1872 ( MDCCCLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year They had three children: Walther, Freiherr von Goethe (9 April 1818 – 15 April 1885), Wolfgang, Freiherr von Goethe (18 September 1820 – 20 January 1883) and Alma von Goethe (29 October 1827 – 29 September 1844). Events 193 - Septimius Severus is proclaimed Roman Emperor by the army in Illyricum (in the Balkans) Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1885 ( MDCCCLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 96 - Nerva is proclaimed Roman Emperor after Domitian is assassinated Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Events 250 - Emperor Decius begins a widespread persecution of Christians in Rome. Year 1883 ( MDCCCLXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 437 - Valentinian III, Western Roman Emperor, marries Licinia Eudoxia, daughter of his cousin Theodosius II Year 1827 ( MDCCCXXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Events 522 BC - Darius I of Persia kills the Magian usurper Gaumâta securing his hold as king of the Persian Empire. Year 1844 ( MDCCCXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year

Christiane Vulpius died in 1816.

Later life

By 1820, he was on amiable terms with Kaspar Maria von Sternberg. Kaspar Maria von Sternberg (also Caspar Maria, Count Sternberg, German: Kaspar Maria Graf Sternberg, Czech: hrabě Kašpar Maria Post-1793, Goethe devoted his endeavour principally to literature.

In 1832, after a life of vast productivity, Goethe died in Weimar. Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald, He is buried in the Ducal Vault at Weimar's Historical Cemetery.

Eckermann closes his famous work, Conversations with Goethe, with this passage:

The morning after Goethe's death, a deep desire seized me to look once again upon his earthly garment. Johann Peter Eckermann ( September 21, 1792 - December 3, 1854) German Poet and Author, best known owing Gespräche mit Goethe (Translation Conversations with Goethe, Conversations with Eckermann) is a book by Johann Peter Eckermann recording his conversations His faithful servant, Frederick, opened for me the chamber in which he was laid out. Stretched upon his back, he reposed as if asleep; profound peace and security reigned in the features of his sublimely noble countenance. The mighty brow seemed yet to harbour thoughts. I wished for a lock of his hair; but reverence prevented me from cutting it off. The body lay naked, only wrapped in a white sheet; large pieces of ice had been placed near it, to keep it fresh as long as possible. Frederick drew aside the sheet, and I was astonished at the divine magnificence of the limbs. The breast was powerful, broad, and arched; the arms and thighs were elegant, and of the most perfect shape; nowhere, on the whole body, was there a trace of either fat or of leanness and decay. A perfect man lay in great beauty before me; and the rapture the sight caused me made me forget for a moment that the immortal spirit had left such an abode. I laid my hand on his heart - there was a deep silence - and I turned away to give free vent to my suppressed tears.

– (p. 426, Da Capo Press edition, John Oxenford translation)

Works

Main article: List of works by Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Literary work

"Modern Book Printing" from the Walk of Ideas in Berlin, Germany - built in 2006 to commemorate Johannes Gutenberg's invention, c. John Oxenford ( August 12, 1812 - February 21, 1877) English Dramatist, was born at Camberwell, London The following is a list of the major publications of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832 The Walk of Ideas is a set of six sculptures made for the 2006 FIFA World Cup Football event at Berlin in Germany. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg ( 1398 &ndash February 3, 1468) was a German Goldsmith and printer who is credited 1445, of movable printing type

The most important of Goethe's works produced before he went to Weimar were his tragedy Götz von Berlichingen (1773), which was the first work to bring him recognition, and the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), which gained him enormous fame as a writer in the Sturm und Drang period which marked the early phase of Romanticism - indeed the book is often considered to be the "spark" which ignited the movement, and can arguably be called the world's first "best-seller". Götz von Berlichingen is a successful 1773 drama by Goethe, based on the memoirs of the historical adventurer-poet Götz von Berlichingen (ca The Sorrows of Young Werther ( Die Leiden des jungen Werthers) is an epistolary and loosely Autobiographical Novel by Johann Wolfgang Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the (For the entirety of his life this was the work with which the vast majority of Goethe's contemporaries associated him). During the years at Weimar before he met Schiller he began Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, wrote the dramas Iphigenie auf Tauris (Iphigenia in Tauris), Egmont, Torquato Tasso, and the fable Reineke Fuchs. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship (Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre is the second Novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe, published in 1795-96 Iphigenia in Tauris (Iphigenie auf Tauris is a reworking by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe of the ancient Greek Tragedy Iphigeneia in Egmont is a play by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which he completed in 1788. Torquato Tasso is a play by the German Dramatist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe about the sixteenth-century Italian Poet,

To the period of his friendship with Schiller belong Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years (the continuation of Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship), the idyll of Hermann and Dorothea, and the Roman Elegies. Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years or the Renunciants, is the fourth novel by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and the sequel to the Hermann and Dorothea is an 1798 Epic poem by German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The Roman Elegies (also known as Erotica Romana, original German: Römische Elegien) is a series of Poems by Johann Wolfgang von In the last period, between Schiller's death, in 1805, and his own, appeared Faust Part One, Elective Affinities, the West-Eastern Divan (a collection of poems in the Persian style, influenced by the work of Hafez), his autobiographical Aus meinem Leben: Dichtung und Wahrheit (From My Life: Poetry and Truth) which covers his early life and ends with his departure for Weimar, his Italian Journey, and a series of treatises on art. Faust The First Part of the Tragedy is the first part of Goethe's Faust. Elective Affinities (Die Wahlverwandtschaften is the third novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1809 West-östlicher Diwan or West-östlicher Divan or West-Eastern Divan is a Diwan (poetry, or collection of lyrical poems by the German poet Khwāja Šamsu d-Dīn Muḥammad Hāfez-e Šīrāzī, or simply Hāfez ( was a Persian mystic and Poet. Aus meinem Leben Dichtung und Wahrheit ("Out of my Life Poetry and Truth" ( 1811 - 1833) is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's autobiography Italian Journey (in the German original Italienische Reise) is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's report on a his 1786/87 travels to Italy published in His writings were immediately influential in literary and artistic circles.

Faust Part Two was only finished in the year of his death, and was published posthumously. Faust Part Two is the second part of Goethe's Faust. It was published in 1832 the year of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's death

Scientific work

As to what I have done as a poet,… I take no pride in it… But that in my century I am the only person who knows the truth in the difficult science of colours - of that, I say, I am not a little proud, and here I have a consciousness of a superiority to many.

– Johann Eckermann, Conversations of Goethe

Although his literary work has attracted the greatest amount of interest, Goethe was also keenly involved in studies of natural science^[8]. Johann Peter Eckermann ( September 21, 1792 - December 3, 1854) German Poet and Author, best known owing He wrote several works on plant morphology, and colour theory. The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism

With his focus on morphology he influenced Darwin^[5][9]. The term morphology in Biology refers to the outward appearance ( Shape, Structure, Colour, Pattern) of an Organism Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life His studies led him to independently discover the human intermaxillary bone in 1784, which Broussonet (1779) and Vicq d'Azyr (1780) had (using different methods) identified several years earlier. The rounded lateral angles of the Medial process constitute the globular processes. Pierre Marie Auguste Broussonet ( February 28, 1761 - January 17, 1807) French naturalist was born at Montpellier, and Félix Vicq d'Azyr ( France, April 23, 1746 - June 20, 1794) was a French Physician and Anatomist, the originator ^[10] While not the only one in his time to question the prevailing view that this bone did not exist in humans, Goethe, who believed ancient anatomists had known about this bone, was the first to prove its peculiarity to all mammals^[11].

Light spectrum, from Theory of Colours – Goethe observed that with a prism, colour arises at the edges, and the spectrum occurs where these coloured edges overlap

During his Italian journey, Goethe formulated a theory of plant metamorphosis in which the archetypal form of the plant is to be found in the leaf - he writes, "from top to bottom a plant is all leaf, united so inseparably with the future bud that one cannot be imagined without the other. " ^[12].

In 1810, Goethe published his Theory of Colours, which he considered his most important work. Theory of Colours (original German title Zur Farbenlehre) is a book by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published in 1810 In it, he (contentiously) characterized colour as arising from the dynamic interplay of darkness and light. After being translated into English by Charles Eastlake in 1840, this theory became widely adopted by the art world, most notably J. M. W. Turner (Bockemuhl, 1991^[13]). Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, RA, ( 17 November 1793 – 24 December 1865) was an English painter, gallery Joseph Mallord William Turner (23 April 1775 &ndash 19 December 1851 was an English Romantic landscape painter, Watercolourist and It also inspired the philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, to write his Remarks on Colour. Goethe was vehemently opposed to Newton's analytic treatment of colour, engaging instead in compiling a comprehensive description of a wide variety of colour phenomena. Sir Isaac Newton, FRS (ˈnjuːtən 4 January 1643 31 March 1727) Biography Early years See also Isaac Newton's early life and achievements Although Goethe cannot necessarily be criticized for the accuracy and extent of his observations, scientists in general have found little use for his theory because not much can be predicted by means of it. Goethe was, however, the first to systematically study the physiological effects of colour, and his observations on the effect of opposed colors led him to a symmetric arrangement of his colour wheel, 'for the colours diametrically opposed to each other… are those which reciprocally evoke each other in the eye. (Goethe, Theory of Colours, 1810 ^[14]). In this, he anticipated Ewald Hering's opponent color theory (1872) ^[15]. Karl Ewald Konstantin Hering ( August 5, 1834 &ndash January 26, 1918) was a German Physiologist who did much research The color opponent process is a Color theory that states that the human Visual system interprets information about Color by processing signals from

Goethe outlines his method in the essay, The experiment as mediator between subject and object (1772). In the Kurschner edition of Goethe's works, the science editor, Rudolf Steiner, presents Goethe's approach to science as phenomenological. Rudolf Steiner ( 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher literary scholar educator artist playwright Steiner elaborated on this in the books The Theory of Knowledge Implicit in Goethe's World-Conception^[16] and Goethe's World View^[17], in which he emphasizes the need of the perceiving organ of intuition in order to grasp Goethe's biological archetype (i. e. The Typus).

Key works

Statues of Goethe and Schiller, Weimar

The short epistolary novel, Die Leiden des jungen Werthers, or The Sorrows of Young Werther, published in 1774, recounts an unhappy romantic infatuation that ends in suicide. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher Weimar (ˈvaɪmaʁ is a City in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of Thuringia (Thüringen north of the Thüringer Wald, An epistolary novel German Briefroman ---> is a Novel written as a series of documents The Sorrows of Young Werther ( Die Leiden des jungen Werthers) is an epistolary and loosely Autobiographical Novel by Johann Wolfgang Goethe admitted that he "shot his hero to save himself": a reference to Goethe's own near-suicidal obsession with a young woman during this period, an obsession he quelled through the writing process. The novel remains in print in dozens of languages and its influence is undeniable; its central hero, an obsessive figure driven to despair and destruction by his unrequited love for the young Lotte, has become a pervasive literary archetype. An archetype ( pronounced: /ˈɑːkɪtaɪp/ (Brit or /ˈɑrkɪtaɪp/ (Amer The fact that Werther ends with the protagonist's suicide and funeral — a funeral which "no clergyman attended" — made the book deeply controversial upon its (anonymous) publication, for on the face of it, it appeared to condone and glorify suicide. Suicide was considered sinful by Christian doctrine: suicides were denied Christian burial with the bodies often mistreated and dishonoured in various ways; in corollary, the deceased's property and possessions were often confiscated by the Church. Christian Theology is discourse concerning Christian faith Christian theologians use biblical Exegesis, rational analysis and argument A Christian burial is the Burial of a deceased person with ecclesiastical rites typically in Consecrated ground ^[18][19] Epistolary novels were common during this time, letter-writing being a primary mode of communication. What set Goethe's book apart from other such novels was its expression of unbridled longing for a joy beyond possibility, its sense of defiant rebellion against authority, and of principal importance, its total subjectivity: qualities that trailblazed the Romantic movement.

The next work, his epic closet drama Faust, was to be completed in stages, and only published in its entirety after his death. A closet drama is a play that is not intended to be performed onstage but read by a solitary reader or sometimes out loud in a small group perhaps in a small room called Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's Faust is a tragic play. It was published in two parts de Faust der Tragödie erster Teil (translated The first part was published in 1808 and created a sensation. The first operatic version, by Spohr, appeared in 1814, and was subsequently the inspiration for operas and oratorios by Schumann, Gounod, Boito, Busoni, and Schnittke as well as symphonic works by Liszt, Wagner, and Mahler. Spohr is a German surname and may refer to Arnold Spohr (born 1927 Canadian ballet dancer choreographer and artistic director of German decent Robert Schumann, sometimes given as Robert Alexander Schumann (June 8 1810 &ndash July 29 1856 was a German Composer, Aesthete and influential Music critic Biography Gounod was born in Paris, the son of a pianist mother and a draftsman father Arrigo Boito ( February 24, 1842 &ndash June 10, 1918) aka Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito Pseudonym Tobia Gorrio was an Italian Ferruccio Dante Michelangiolo Benvenuto Busoni (April 1 1866 &ndash July 27 1924 was an Italian Composer, Pianist, musical educator and conductor. Alfred Garyevich Schnittke (Альфре́д Га́рриевич Шни́тке November 24, 1934 Engels - August 3, 1998 Hamburg Faust became the ur-myth of many figures in the 19th century. Later, a facet of its plot, i. e. , of selling one's soul to the devil for power over the physical world, took on increasing literary importance and became a view of the victory of technology and of industrialism, along with its dubious human expenses. In 1919, the Goetheanum staged the world premiere of a complete production of Faust. The Goetheanum, located in Dornach (near Basel) Switzerland, is the world center for the anthroposophical movement The word premiere (or première, from the French première, "first" generally means "a first performance" On occasion, the play is still staged in Germany and other parts around the world. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe.

Goethe's poetic work served as a model for an entire movement in German poetry termed Innerlichkeit ("introversion") and represented by, for example, Heine. Christian Johann Heinrich Heine ( December 13, 1797 – February 17, 1856) was a Journalist, Essayist and one of the Goethe's words inspired a number of compositions by, among others, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Berlioz and Wolf. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. Hugo Wolf (March 13 1860 – February 22 1903 was an Austrian Composer of Slovene origin particularly noted for his art songs or Lieder. Perhaps the single most influential piece is "Mignon's Song" which opens with one of the most famous lines in German poetry, an allusion to Italy: "Kennst du das Land, wo die Zitronen blühn?" ("Do you know the land where the lemons bloom?"). Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

Goethe in the Roman Campagna (1786) by Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein. Johann Heinrich Wilhelm Tischbein, also known as Goethe-Tischbein (born 15 February 1751 in Haina; died 26 February 1828 Oil on canvas, 164 x 206 cm. Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt.

He is also widely quoted. Epigrams such as "Against criticism a man can neither protest nor defend himself; he must act in spite of it, and then it will gradually yield to him", "Divide and rule, a sound motto; unite and lead, a better one", and "Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must", are still in usage or are often paraphrased. Lines from Faust, such as "Das also war des Pudels Kern", "Das ist der Weisheit letzter Schluss", or "Grau ist alle Theorie" have entered everyday German usage. Although a success of less tasteful appeal, the famous line from the drama Götz von Berlichingen ("Er kann mich im Arsche lecken": "He can lick my arse") has become a vulgar idiom in many languages, and shows Goethe's deep cultural impact extending across social, national, and linguistic borders. Götz von Berlichingen is a successful 1773 drama by Goethe, based on the memoirs of the historical adventurer-poet Götz von Berlichingen (ca

It may be taken as another measure of Goethe's fame that other well-known quotations are often incorrectly attributed to him, such as Hippocrates' "Art is long, life is short", which is found in Goethe's Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship. Hippocrates of Cos II or Hippokrates of Kos ( ca. 460 BC – ca

Eroticism

Many of Goethe's works, especially Faust, the Roman Elegies, and the Venetian Epigrams, depict hetero- and homosexual erotic passions and acts. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 's Faust is a tragic play. It was published in two parts de Faust der Tragödie erster Teil (translated The Roman Elegies (also known as Erotica Romana, original German: Römische Elegien) is a series of Poems by Johann Wolfgang von In Faust, having signed (the Devil insists on his signature in an actual contract) his deal with the devil, the very first use of his new power thus gained sees Faust raping a young teenage girl. In fact, some of the Venetian Epigrams were held back from publication due to their sexual content. However, Karl Hugo Pruys caused national controversy in Germany when his 1999 book The Tiger's Tender Touch: The Erotic Life of Goethe tentatively deduced from Goethe's writings the possibility of Goethe's homosexuality. Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[20] The sexual portraitures and allusions in his work may stem from one of the many effects of Goethe's eye-opening sojourn in Italy, where men, who shunned the prevalence of women's venereal diseases and unconscionable conditions, embraced homosexuality as a solution that was not widely imitated outside of Italy. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A sexually transmitted disease ( STD) or venereal disease ( VD) is an illness that has a significant probability of transmission between Humans ^[21] Whatever the case, Goethe clearly saw sexuality in general as a topic that merited poetic and artistic depiction. Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings This went against the thought of his time, when the very private nature of sexuality was rigorously normative, and makes him appear more modern than he is typically thought to be. ^[22]

Religion

Born into a Protestant (Lutheran) family, Goethe's early faith was shaken by news of such events as the 1755 Lisbon earthquake and the Seven Years' War. The 1755 Lisbon earthquake, also known as the Great Lisbon Earthquake, took place on November 1 1755 at around 940 in the morning The Seven Years' War (1756&ndash1763 involved all of the major European powers of the period causing 900000 to 1400000 deaths His later spiritual perspective evolved among pantheism, humanism, and various elements of Western esotericism, as seen most vividly in Part II of Faust. Pantheism ( Greek: πάν ( 'pan') = all and θεός ( 'theos') = God it literally means " God is All Humanism is a broad category of ethical philosophies that affirm the dignity and worth of all people based on the ability to determine right and wrong by appealing to universal

A year before his death he expressed an identification with the Hypsistarians, an ancient Jewish-pagan sect of the Black Sea region. Hypsistarians, ie worshippers of the Hypsistos, the "Most High" God were a distinct Jewish-pagan sect which flourished from about 200 B The Black Sea is an inland Sea bounded by southeastern Europe, the Caucasus and the Anatolian peninsula ( Turkey After describing his difficulties with mainstream religion, Goethe laments:

…I have found no confession of faith to which I could ally myself without reservation. ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfgaŋ fɔn ˈgøːtə (in English generally ˈgɝːtə 28 August 1749 22 March 1832 was a German writer Now in my old age, however, I have learned of a sect, the Hypsistarians, who, hemmed in between heathens, Jews and Christians, declared that they would treasure, admire, and honour the best, the most perfect that might come to their knowledge, and inasmuch as it must have a close connection to the Godhead, pay it reverence. A joyous light thus beamed at me suddenly out of a dark age, for I had the feeling that all my life I had been aspiring to qualify as a Hypsistarian. That, however, is no small task, for how does one, in the limitations of one's individuality, come to know what is most excellent?

– from a letter to Sulpiz Boisserée dated 22 March 1831^[23]

Historical importance

Goethe had a great effect on the 19th century. In many respects, he was the originator of many ideas which later became widespread. He produced volumes of poetry, essays, criticism, a theory of optics and early work on evolution and linguistics. eVolution is the third Album by eLDee, it was due to be released in 2008 Linguistics is the scientific study of Language, encompassing a number of sub-fields He was fascinated by mineralogy, and the mineral goethite is named after him. Mineralogy is an Earth Science focused around the Chemistry, Crystal structure, and physical (including optical) properties of Minerals Goethite, named after the German Polymath Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, is an iron bearing oxide mineral found in soil and other low temperature environments His non-fiction writings, most of which are philosophic and aphoristic in nature, spurred the development of many philosophers, including G.W.F. Hegel, Schopenhauer, Friedrich Nietzsche, Ernst Cassirer, Carl Jung, and Ludwig Wittgenstein. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Ernst Cassirer ( July 28, 1874 &ndash April 13, 1945) was a German Jewish Philosopher. Along with Schiller, he was one of the leading figures of Weimar Classicism. Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller krɪstɔf friːtʁɪç fɔn ʃɪləʁ/ʃɪlɐ (10 November 1759 9 May 1805 was a German Poet, Philosopher Weimar Classicism ( German “ Weimarer Klassik ” and “ Weimarer Klassizismus ” is a cultural and Literary movement of Europe Goethe is remembered with special fondness by followers of 20th century esoteric figure Rudolf Steiner - who named the Goetheanum after him, where festival performances of Faust are still performed today. Rudolf Steiner ( 25 February 1861 – 30 March 1925) was an Austrian philosopher literary scholar educator artist playwright The Goetheanum, located in Dornach (near Basel) Switzerland, is the world center for the anthroposophical movement Faust or Faustus ( Latin for "auspicious" or "lucky" is the protagonist of a classic German Legend in which he makes In contemporary culture, he stands in the background as the author of the story upon which Disney's The Sorcerer's Apprentice is based. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is the English name of Goethe 's poem Der Zauberlehrling (1797

Second Goetheanum

Goethe embodied many of the contending strands in art over the next century: his work could be lushly emotional, and rigorously formal, brief and epigrammatic, and epic. He would argue that classicism was the means of controlling art, and that romanticism was a sickness, even as he penned poetry rich in memorable images, and rewrote the formal rules of German poetry. For the works or study of works from classical antiquity see Classics Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the

His poetry was set to music by almost every major Austrian and German composer from Mozart to Mahler, and his influence would spread to French drama and opera as well. Beethoven declared that a "Faust" Symphony would be the greatest thing for Art. Liszt and Mahler both created symphonies in whole or in large part inspired by this seminal work, which would give the 19th century one of its most paradigmatic figures: Doctor Faustus. The Faust tragedy/drama, often called "Das Drama der Deutschen" (the drama of the Germans), written in two parts published decades apart, would stand as his most characteristic and famous artistic creation. Drama is the specific mode of Fiction represented in Performance.

Goethe was also a cultural force, and by researching folk traditions, he created many of the norms for celebrating Christmas, and argued that the organic nature of the land moulded the people and their customs—an argument that has recurred ever since, including recently in the work of Jared Diamond. TemplateInfobox writer --> Jared Mason Diamond (b 10 September, 1937) is an American Evolutionary biologist He argued that laws could not be created by pure rationalism, since geography and history shaped habits and patterns. This stood in sharp contrast to the prevailing Enlightenment view that reason was sufficient to create well-ordered societies and good laws. The Age of Enlightenment or The Enlightenment is a term used to describe a phase in Western philosophy and cultural life centered upon the eighteenth century

Influence

Goethe's influence was dramatic because he understood that there was a transition in European sensibilities, an increasing focus on sense, the indescribable, and the emotional. This is not to say that he was emotionalistic or excessive; on the contrary, he lauded personal restraint and felt that excess was a disease: "There is nothing worse than imagination without taste". He argued in his scientific works that a "formative impulse", which he said is operative in every organism, causes an organism to form itself according to its own distinct laws, and therefore rational laws or fiats could not be imposed at all from a higher, transcendent sphere; this placed him in direct opposition to those who attempted to form "enlightened" monarchies based on "rational" laws by, for example, Joseph II of Austria or, the subsequent Emperor of the French, Napoleon I. Heir and co-regent Joseph was born in the midst of the early upheavals of the War of the Austrian Succession. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. A quotation from his Scientific Studies will suffice:

We conceive of the individual animal as a small world, existing for its own sake, by its own means. Every creature is its own reason to be. All its parts have a direct effect on one another, a relationship to one another, thereby constantly renewing the circle of life; thus we are justified in considering every animal physiologically perfect. Viewed from within, no part of the animal is a useless or arbitrary product of the formative impulse (as so often thought). Externally, some parts may seem useless because the inner coherence of the animal nature has given them this form without regard to outer circumstance. Thus…[not] the question, What are they for? but rather, Where do they come from?

– Suhrkamp ed. , vol 12, p. 121; trans. Douglas Miller, Scientific Studies

This change later became the basis for 19th century thought; organic rather than geometrical, evolving rather than created, and based on sensibility and intuition, rather than on imposed order, culminating in, as he said, a "living quality" wherein the subject and object are dissolved together in a poise of inquiry. Consequently, he embraced neither teleological nor deterministic views of growth within every organism. Teleology ( Greek: telos: end purpose is the philosophical study of design and Purpose. Determinism is the philosophical Proposition that every event including human cognition and behaviour decision and action is causally determined Instead, the world as a whole grows through continual, external, and internal strife. Moreover, he did not embrace the mechanistic views that contemporaneous science subsumed during his time, and therewith he denied rationality's superiority as the sole interpretation of reality. In Philosophy, mechanism is a Theory that all natural phenomena can be explained by physical causes Furthermore, he declared that all knowledge is related to humanity through its functional value alone and that knowledge presupposes a perspectival quality. Perspectivism is the philosophical view developed by Friedrich Nietzsche that all Ideations take place from particular perspectives This means He also stated that the fundamental nature of the world is aesthetic. Aesthetics or esthetics ( also spelled æsthetics) is commonly known as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values sometimes called

His views make him, along with Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and Ludwig van Beethoven, a figure in two worlds: on the one hand, devoted to the sense of taste, order, and finely crafted detail, which is the hallmark of the artistic sense of the Age of Reason and the neo-classicistic period of architecture; on the other, seeking a personal, intuitive, and personalized form of expression and society, firmly supporting the idea of self-regulating and organic systems. Adam Smith ( baptised 16 June 1723 – 17 July 1790) was a Scottish moral philosopher and a pioneer of Political economy. Thomas Jefferson (April 13 1743 – July 4 1826 was the third President of the United States (1801–1809 the principal author of the Declaration of Independence Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist. 17th century philosophy in the Western world is generally regarded as being the start of Modern philosophy, and a departure from the medieval approach Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century both as a reaction against the Rococo Thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson would take up many similar ideas in the 1800s. Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25 1803 &ndash April 27 1882 was an American essayist philosopher poet and leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the early 19th century His ideas on evolution would frame the question which Darwin and Wallace would approach within the scientific paradigm. Charles Robert Darwin (February 12 1809 &ndash April 19 1882 was an English naturalist, who realised and demonstrated that all Species of life Alfred Russel Wallace OM, FRS (8 January 1823 &ndash 7 November 1913 was an British naturalist, Explorer, Geographer

Bibliography

• Goethe: The History of a Man by Emil Ludwig
• Goethe by Georg Brandes
• Goethe: his life and times by Richard Friedenthal
• Lotte in Weimar: The Beloved Returns by Thomas Mann
• Conversations with Goethe by Johann Peter Eckermann
• Goethe's World: as seen in letters and memoirs ed. Emil Ludwig (1881 &ndash 1948 was a German Author, known for his biographies Georg Morris Cohen Brandes ( 4 February 1842 - 19 February 1927) was a Danish critic and scholar who had great influence on Scandinavian Thomas Mann 's novel Lotte in Weimar The Beloved Returns, or otherwise known by Lotte in Weimar or The Beloved Returns, is a story written Paul Thomas Mann ( June Gespräche mit Goethe (Translation Conversations with Goethe, Conversations with Eckermann) is a book by Johann Peter Eckermann recording his conversations Johann Peter Eckermann ( September 21, 1792 - December 3, 1854) German Poet and Author, best known owing by Berthold Biermann
• Goethe: Four Studies by Albert Schweitzer
• Goethe and his Publishers by Siegfied Unseld
• Goethe: The Poet and the Age (2 Vols. Albert Schweitzer, MD, OM, (January 14 1875 &ndash September 4 1965 was an Alsatian theologian, Musician, Philosopher ), by Nicholas Boyle
• Goethe's Concept of the Daemonic: After the Ancients, by Angus Nicholls
• Goethe and Rousseau: Resonances of ther Mind, by Carl Hammer, Jr.

References

See also

• List of works by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Minna Herzlieb
• Ulrike von Levetzow
• Goethe Basin
• Dora Stock - her encounters with the 16-year-old Goethe

External links

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the German National Library catalogue
• Works by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe at Project Gutenberg
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Weimar Classicism in the Literary Encyclopedia
• BBC In Our Time Programme on Goethe (online)
• "Goethe's Delicate Empiricism," A Special Issue of Janus Head
• Der Versuch als Mittler zwischen Objekt und Subjekt, 1792; first published 1823 (in German)
• Goethe's dual language poems (English and German)
• Goethean Science Site
• Goethe Quotes
• Goethe Statue - Lincoln Park, Chicago
• Elective affinities Cornell University Library Historical Monographs Collection. The following is a list of the major publications of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832 Christiane Friederike Wilhelmine "Minna (Minchen" Herzlieb ( May 22, 1789, Züllichau, Lower Silesia - July 10, 1865 Ulrike von Levetzow, known as Ulrike Levetzow Baroness von Levetzow (1804-99 was a friend of Johann Wolfgang Goethe. Goethe Basin is a 383 km diameter Impact basin at 785° N 445° W on Mercury. Dora (Doris Dorothea Stock ( 6 March 1760 – 30 March 1832) was an artist of the 18th and 19th centuries who specialized in portraiture The German National Library ( Deutsche Nationalbibliothek, abbreviated DNB) was established in 1990 during the German reunification by merging the Deutsche Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works History The area now known as Lincoln Park in Chicago was primarily forest with stretches of grassland and occasional quicksand until the late 1820s when the Europeans arrived {Reprinted by} Cornell University Library Digital Collections
• Famous Quotes by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Works by or about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in libraries (WorldCat catalog)