Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), German poet, novelist, and dramatist. During the period of literary ferment known as the Sturm und Drang (`storm and stress’) movement, Goethe created a sensation throughout Europe with the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774). At much the same time he began work on Faust, which was to be his greatest achievement. In 1775 he moved to Weimar, where he later directed the court theatre (1791-1817). A major turning point in Goethe’s life was his visit to Italy, in 1786-88, which led him to renounce romanticism in favour of a more classical outlook. His friendship with Friedrich Schiller stimulated him to complete Part I of Faust (1808). His later works include the novel Elective Affinities (1808-09) and Part II of Faust (1832).
