Presented by
MAX AMWEG
28 Aug 2026 – 06 Sep 2026 / Alte Försterei, Ilmenau
12 Sep 2026 – 17 Oct 2026 / Kulturfabrik, Ilmenau
28 Aug 2026 – 06 Sep 2026
Alte Försterei, Ilmenau
12 Sep 2026 – 17 Oct 2026
Kulturfabrik, Ilmenau
Part of the Goethe Festival Week, 28 August – 6 September 2026
At the heart of the exhibition is not the monument, but the human being.
GOETHEs TREIBEN presents Goethe not as an untouchable genius, but as a curious, creative, joyful and sometimes contradictory human being.
The exhibition invites visitors to leave familiar perspectives behind and rediscover Goethe – with a smile, with curiosity and with room for reflection.
Genius and everyday human life, great ideas and ordinary quirks
often lie closer together than we imagine – and both are inseparably connected.
FIRST PART
OF THE EXHIBITION
Exuberant Ilmenau social life surrounding Goethe and Duke Carl August
Spirit of genius, Storm and Stress era, years of youthful exuberance, age of genius, hunting parties, cult of friendship, turbulent years, youthful excesses, wild times, years of enthusiasm, genius-driven exploits, pranks, follies, jokes, indulgences, excesses
They threw Glaser into a kneading trough while he was asleep and gave him a thorough soaking with milk.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, recorded accounts of youthful exploits in Ilmenau/Stützerbach
Without wine and without women, may the devil take our bodies!
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust. The Tragedy, Part One
SECOND PART
OF THE EXHIBITION
For Goethe, wine was not merely a drink, but a cultural practice.
Part of friendship, courtly life, rituals, poetry, and at times youthful exuberance. The early years in Ilmenau reveal the wilder side of this culture; the later Goethe embodies the more reflective connoisseur.
THIRD PART
OF THE EXHIBITION
Who would Goethe be today? A thought experiment.
Today, Goethe would be more than an influencer – a cultural figure with a brand of his own, somewhere between intellectual, celebrity and lifestyle icon.
If the young Goethe were an influencer in Ilmenau today, his face would appear on billboards, Instagram posts and shop windows. Cafés would offer “Goethe Specials,” winemakers would promote their products with his style, and regional brands would use him as a symbol of creativity, enjoyment and rebellion. Business owners would pose wearing Goethe wigs to attract attention. Goethe would be more than an author – a personal brand, somewhere between cultural icon, lifestyle influencer and regional advertising figure.
What care I for wealth and treasure, when I am content?
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Faust. Part One of the Tragedy
Our special thanks go to all our artists.
Through their passion, creativity and artistic work, this exhibition became possible in the first place.
Each work tells its own story and helps make this exhibition an inspiring place for exchange, encounter and reflection.
Every exhibition begins with an idea and gradually grows into something tangible.
We invite you to take a look behind the scenes and follow the creation of this exhibition, from the very first preparations to the opening day.
