The lesser known Goethe
Five little-known facts about the great German poet.
What were Goethe’s areas of interest besides writing?
In addition to his literary work, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) was also a passionate scientist. He was particularly interested in botany. And in human beings: in 1790 he discovered the intermaxillary bone in the human skull that served as evidence of his theory that humans and animals were related, just like everything else in nature. This was met with bitter resistance. “I am so overjoyed, all my intestines are in motion,” he wrote about the discovery he had made on the skull of an embryo.
Which genius did Goethe refute, even in writing?
Isaac Newton was and still is considered to be a genius in the fields of physics, mathematics and astronomy. However, that did not stop Goethe from developing his own theory of colours that was contrary to Newton’s theory of colours and based on subjective experience of colour. While his holistic approach remains relevant to this day, it was him that was wrong from the perspective of Newton’s area of expertise, the physics of colours, and not Newton. In his later years, Goethe said that he did not pride himself on his poetry “but the fact that I am the only one in my century who knows what is right in the difficult science of colour theory is something I take credit for”.
Which was Goethe’s favourite drink?
It is not a secret that Goethe was a wine enthusiast, and he was very open about this: “Life is far too short to drink bad wine.” But which wine did he like best? His favourites were Johannisberger Riesling from the Rheingau region and Würzburger Stein. About the latter he said: “I cannot enjoy any other wine, and I am fretful when I have to do without my favourite drink that I am used to.”
Did the most famous poet in German language ever use a pseudonym?
Later in life he did not, but a few of his early works were published under the name of “Plinius”.
Did Goethe have any mundane fears?
When he was young, the poet frequently suffered from tooth aches. He reported that he’d often had “swollen cheeks”. Goethe was known to be terrified of dentists and to only seek treatment in emergencies. Considering the abilities of dentists at the time, it is very likely that this was a fear he had in common with the vast majority of people. Goethe himself was awarded an honorary doctorate in medicine by the University of Jena in 1794, despite the fact that he never studied the discipline.
