Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Collected editions

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 – 1832) was a German poet, playwright, novelist, and scientist whose Faust is one of the towering achievements of European literature. The drama tells of a man who makes a pact with the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge and pleasure, weaving together philosophy, theology, and poetic grandeur.

Goethe’s influence extends far beyond literature into philosophy, science, and the arts, making him a central figure of the German Enlightenment and Romanticism.

Through Faust and works such as The Sorrows of Young Werther, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe shaped the intellectual and artistic life of Europe.