Sophie. Power. Literature

The special exhibition takes a critical look at Weimar’s Grand Duchess Sophie and her efforts to cultivate and promote Goethe’s literary estate in the late 19th century and examines the past and present ties between literature and politics.

In 1885 Grand Duchess Sophie of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach became the sole heiress of Goethe’s literary estate. As a prudent cultural policymaker, she made it her goal to ensure that his writings remained accessible to the public. She initiated the “Weimar Edition”, the first compendium of Goethe’s complete works. She handpicked German studies scholars to contribute to the major undertaking and even censored some of Goethe’s writings. She commissioned the construction of an archive to hold his estate, the Goethe- und Schiller-Archiv, the first literary archive in Germany. In 1896 she officially opened the archive as a literary museum where historical originals would be exhibited henceforth. She also generously supported the founding of the Goethe National Museum and the Goethe Society.

The Grand Duchess’s multifaceted efforts reflect the spirit of the Wilhelmine era, during which the promotion of national literature served to strengthen national identity. The exhibition critically illustrates how Sophie shaped (and continues to influence) Goethe’s national and international image and explores the mutual relationship of literature and political power that existed in Sophie’s time and in our current cultural political moment.