Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

German writer and polymath

Born: August 28, 1749 · Died: March 22, 1832

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Overview

Legacy

Goethe was an early participant in the Sturm und Drang literary movement.

Who was Johann Wolfgang von Goethe?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on literary, political, Christian views, and philosophical thought in the Western world from the late 18th century to the present. A poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre-director, and critic, Goethe wrote a wide range of works, including plays, poetry and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour. He was ennobled by Karl August, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, in 1782.

Goethe's birthplace in Frankfurt (Großer Hirschgraben)

Historical significance

Goethe took up residence in Weimar in 1775 following the success of his first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), and joined a thriving intellectual and cultural environment under the patronage of Duchess Anna Amalia that formed the basis of Weimar Classicism.

Sources and further reading

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Wikipedia source

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MLA

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APA

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Chicago

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