The literary estate of Goethe in the Goethe and Schiller Archives
Documentary heritage submitted by Germany and recommended for inclusion in the Memory of the World Register in 2001.
The literary estate of Goethe is the most important holding of the Stiftung Weimarer Klassik / Goethe and Schiller Archives (GSA) in Weimar. Goethe still is the best-known German writer and poet world-wide and this collection of manuscripts includes the most important of his creative works.
As a result of Goethe’s activities to create his own archives of written records during the second half of his life the bulk of today’s holdings were established. These comprehensive archives left by Goethe represent the original core of the Goethe and Schiller Archives. It encloses manuscripts of all periods of Goethe’s life. Therefore, it reflects the artistic creation of Goethe as well as his philosophical and intellectual horizon.
The Foundation added (and still adds) to this original core writings by Goethe that were found in other people's estates. Including fictional as well as non fictional work, i.e. diaries, letters and scientific essays, the estate of Goethe in its unity, completeness and range of holdings today represents a unique record not only of the creative work of Goethe but, reflects in Goethe's works the whole Classical Period in Germany.