Life
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born on 28 August 1749 in Frankfurt am Main. He studied law in Leipzig and later in Strasbourg, where he began to devote himself to literature.
He soon became one of the leading figures of the literary movement known as Sturm und Drang. Works from this period include the poem Prometheus and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (Die Leiden des jungen Werthers), one of the most influential works of European literature.
In 1775 Goethe entered the service of Duke Karl August of Saxe-Weimar and settled in Weimar. In addition to writing he was active in administration and pursued scientific and natural research.
Italian journey and Weimar Classicism
Goethe’s journey to Italy between 1786 and 1788 had a profound influence on his intellectual development. There he encountered classical antiquity and humanistic ideals that shaped his later works.
Among the works from this period are the Roman Elegies and the dramas Iphigenia in Tauris and Torquato Tasso.
His cooperation with Friedrich Schiller is known as the period of Weimar Classicism. During this time he wrote, among other works, the novels Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship and Wilhelm Meister’s Journeyman Years.
Faust and late works
Goethe worked on his masterpiece, the dramatic poem Faust, for almost sixty years. The first part was published in 1808, while the second part appeared posthumously in 1832.
Among his late works are the collection West–Eastern Divan and the famous Marienbad Elegy.
Goethe in Jáchymov
Goethe was also deeply interested in natural sciences, especially mineralogy, geology and mining.
During one of his stays in Karlovy Vary he visited Jáchymov in 1785 together with his friend Friedrich Schiller. There he descended into the Svornost mine in order to study the geological riches of the region.
Death
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe died on 22 March 1832 in Weimar.
