Birthdate: 28th August 1749
Nationality: German
Bio:
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in 1749 in Frankfurt, Germany. He came from a wealthy family and received an education focused on literature, art, and science. Even from a young age, Goethe had a passion for writing and showed a talent for poetry. He published his first collection of poems when he was just 17 years old.
In his early twenties, Goethe worked as a lawyer but found the work unfulfilling. He eventually became a member of the Duke’s privy council in Weimar, which allowed him more freedom to pursue his true interests in writing and the arts. It was in Weimar that Goethe began work on what would become his most famous work, Faust. Over the course of his life he worked on different versions of the epic poem about a man who makes a deal with the devil.
Aside from writing poetry and plays, Goethe also had a deep interest in science and conducted important research on topics such as optics, anatomy, and meteorology. He saw science and art as mutually supportive. In his later years, Goethe undertook an extensive study of morphology and evolutionary theory. His work in this area would prove influential for Charles Darwin and other later scientists.
Goethe had a very long and prolific career up until his death in 1832 at the age of 82. By that point, he had established himself as one of the most important and influential figures in German literature. In addition to Faust, some of his other most renowned works include the novels The Sorrows of Young Werther and Wilhelm Meister’s Apprenticeship. To this day, Goethe remains widely read and continues to be recognized for his achievements across multiple fields including literature, science, and art.
