„Familien-Denkmal“ vs. „National Eigenthum“

Abstract

Abstract Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s personal library was a prime source of his literary and scientific writings, but has nonetheless found little attention in research. This study explains this disregard by examining the library as both “familial inheritance” (Erbe) and “cultural heritage” (Kulturerbe), two conflicting concepts that, nonetheless, both resulted in the monumentalization of the writer’s book collection. By turning Goethe’s library into a monument, the individual, telling histories of the books he owned, has often been overshadowed. Many books are associated with multiple owners and have gone through the hands of Goethe’s family, friends, and assistants. Against this background, provenance research allows us to gain new insights into Goethe’s works, reading and writing practices, as well as his stylization as a German national poet.