Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a renowned German polymath widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His extensive body of work has had a profound impact on literary, political, and philosophical thought in the Western world from the late 18th century to the present.
As a poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre-director, and critic, Goethe's works encompass plays, poetry, aesthetic criticism, and treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour. He took up residence in Weimar in 1775 following the success of his first novel, The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), joining a thriving intellectual community under the patronage of Duchess Anna Amalia.
Goethe was ennobled by Karl August, Duke of Saxe-Weimar, in 1782 and was an early participant in the Sturm und Drang literary movement. During his first ten years in Weimar, he became a member of the Duke's privy council, contributed to Weimar's botanical park planning, and implemented administrative reforms at the University of Jena. His first major scientific work, The Metamorphosis of Plants, was published after his return from a tour of Italy in 1788.
In 1791, he was made managing director of the theatre at Weimar, and in 1794, he began a friendship with Friedrich Schiller, leading to a series of collaborations during the Weimar Classicism period. Goethe's notable literary achievements during this time include his second novel, Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, the epic poem Hermann and Dorothea, and his most celebrated drama, Faust (part one published in 1808).
Goethe's influence extended beyond literature to music, with his poems set to music by many composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Mahler. His legacy is such that Goethe-Institut was established to promote German language and culture worldwide. Arthur Schopenhauer and Ralph Waldo Emerson were among those who praised his works, highlighting their timeless and universal appeal.