Goethe House

In 1733, Cornelia Goethe, grandmother of the literary giant Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, purchased a pair of adjoining houses on Großer Hirschgraben. This became the Goethe House. Little did she know this would become a cradle of literary genius. The Goethe House wasn’t always the grand residence we see today. Initially two separate structures, Cornelia had the dividing wall removed, uniting them into a single dwelling. Her son, Johann Caspar Goethe, further transformed the Goethe House in 1755. He demolished one of the original structures and expanded the remaining building. This ambitious renovation, overseen by Johann Caspar himself, resulted in the stately four-story home. He even preserved the double overhang of the facade, a design feature not usually permitted at the time. It was here, in the newly renovated Goethe House, that Johann Wolfgang von Goethe spent his formative years, penning early masterpieces like “Götz von Berlichingen” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. The very first drafts of “Faust” also took shape within these walls. The Goethe House also showcases a fascinating piece of history: an astronomical clock from 1746. Crafted by the Kinzing brothers for a family friend, Wilhelm Friedrich Hüsgen, this intricate clock displays not only the time, but also the date, moon phases, and the sun’s position within the zodiac. Young Goethe was captivated by this clock in Hüsgen’s home, a detail he fondly recalled decades later in his autobiography. Now, this same clock resides within the Goethe House, a testament to the poet’s enduring fascination. Tragically, the Goethe House, along with much of Frankfurt’s old city, was destroyed during an air raid in 1944. Thankfully, the majority of the house’s contents had been safely stored elsewhere. The post-war reconstruction of the Goethe House wasn’t without debate. Some argued for preserving the ruins as a memorial. Others deemed rebuilding a non-priority in the immediate post-war years. Ultimately, the Freies Deutsches Hochstift, which purchased the Goethe House in 1863, prevailed. Their vision of a faithfully reconstructed Goethe House was realized in 1951. Today, the Goethe House stands as a beautifully preserved glimpse into 18th-century life. It offers visitors a chance to walk in the footsteps of one of the world’s most celebrated literary figures.