Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Über den Granit [On Granite]

Kamaal Haque (Dickinson College)

Ed. by Gerhard P. Knapp, University of Utah
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.4.1: German-language Writing and Culture: Germany, 500-present.
Vol. editors: Gerhard P. Knapp (University of Utah), Jennifer Marston William (Purdue University), Herbert Rowland (Purdue University), Jill E. Twark (East Carolina University)

Domains

Geology

Dates

First circulation or publication 1877

Places

Germany (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Treatise

Resources

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“Über den Granit” a brief four-page treatise, is Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s best-known geologic tract. Although not as prominent as his work on other scientific topics such as optics (

Die Farbenlehre

) and botany (

Die Metamorphose der Pflanzen

), Goethe’s geologic studies number nearly one hundred essays and drafts of essays, as well a rock collection that was widely regarded as one of the best three in Europe at the time. Within these studies, “Über den Granit” stands out. It is as much dithyrambic “hymn” (Karl Otto Conrady) to a type of stone as it is a work of scientific investigation.

When Goethe writes “Über den Granit” in 1784, his interest in geology is both practical and scientific. In 1777, Goethe is given authority of the Mining Commission in Weimar. His

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920 words

Citation: Haque, Kamaal. "Über den Granit". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 21 March 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=21840, accessed 21 November 2024.]