Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was a German poet and theater director. He wrote many poems, dramas and prose literature. He is known worldwide today. As a child, Goethe lived with his family in Frankfurt and received a very good education. He also studied many languages. Later on he studied law, though he only wanted to write and as such his career as a lawyer was short.
Goethe began traveling while young. He went through Europe and wrote many poems about women, the landscapes and suffering. Later in life, Goethe met the well-known writer Friedrich von Schiller. They worked together in the Sturm und Drang time. This period occurred from 1760 to 1790 when poets and musicians in Germany worked together to find a new artistic way. Goethe is known for his book The Sorrows of Young Werther, from 1779. It is about unrequited love and is still read a lot by young people today. He also wrote Faust, a tragedy. There are many statues of Goethe in Germany today and also numerous institutions named in his honor .
