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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

1749 CE1832 CE · Writer · Frankfurt am Main

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German writer whose work spans poetry, drama, fiction, autobiography, criticism, and natural science. Born in Frankfurt am Main in 1749, he studied law at Leipzig and Strasbourg. His novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther" (1774) brought him European fame, and in 1775 he entered the service of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar, where he spent most of his life administering, writing, and directing the court theatre. A formative journey to Italy (1786-1788) shaped his classicism. His major works include the drama "Faust," the "Wilhelm Meister" novels, and lyric poetry. He also pursued botany, anatomy, and optics, dying in Weimar in 1832.

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Frankfurt am Main

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