Goethes Werke: IV. Abteilung 12. Band

This volume is part of the Weimarer Ausgabe, also known as the Sophien-Ausgabe, which remains the authoritative historical-critical edition of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's collected works. Commissioned by Grand Duchess Sophie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1885, the project was intended to provide a comprehensive and definitive scholarly record of Goethe’s entire literary and scientific output, following the discovery of his extensive literary estate in the Goethe- und Schiller-Archiv.

The edition is categorized into four distinct sections: poetry, scientific writings, diaries, and correspondence. This specific volume belongs to the fourth section, which focuses on Goethe’s letters. The design and editorial rigor were overseen by prominent scholars of the late 19th century, aiming for a typographic clarity and archival accuracy that would serve as the benchmark for German literary studies for over a century. It stands as a monumental achievement in textual criticism, reflecting the era’s commitment to institutionalized cultural preservation.