Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on literary, political, Christian views, and philosophical thought in the Western world from the late 18th century to the present. A poet, playwright, novelist, scientist, statesman, theatre-director, and critic, Goethe wrote a wide range of works, including plays, poetry and aesthetic criticism, as well as treatises on botany, anatomy, and colour. August 22, 1749 – March 22, 1832; died at 82. Alive at the same time as Karl Marx, Abraham Lincoln, Charles Darwin, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Napoleon. Wiki link