Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) was the greatest writer of his time and even Napoleon insisted on meeting him when the French conqueror happened to be passing through Germany with the Grande Armée. Goethe gained celebrity at an early age and won both acclaim and notoriety for his writings, some of which are now classics of world literature. This brilliant intellectual and artist wrote four novels, poetry and world-famous dramas, as well as treatises on various scientific subjects. He also served in a number of important state functions.
Producer: Marijke van der Meer
Broadcast: August 28, 1999 to mark the 250th anniversary of Goethe’s birth