Goethes Werke: Hamburger Ausgabe in 14 Bänden. Autobiographische Schriften, 1 / textkritisch durchgesehen von Lieselotte Blumenthal, mit Anmerkungen versehen von Erich Trunz

The Hamburger Ausgabe of Goethe's works, published by Christian Wegner Verlag starting in the late 1940s, was conceived as a monumental post-war effort to re-establish the definitive German literary canon. Edited primarily by Erich Trunz, this edition was designed to provide a scholarly, text-critically reviewed foundation for Goethe's complete writings. Its inception reflected a broader cultural desire in West Germany to reclaim and preserve the humanistic tradition of the German Enlightenment following the destruction of World War II.

Lieselotte Blumenthal’s work on the autobiographical volumes, including Dichtung und Wahrheit, focused on meticulous textual precision, ensuring that the edition served both the academic community and the educated public. The design prioritized readability and academic rigor, featuring extensive annotations by Trunz that contextualized Goethe’s life and artistic development. It was widely received as the gold standard of Goethe scholarship, prized for its balanced blend of aesthetic presentation and scientific editorial accuracy.