Born on August 28
Goethe's Birthday
A poet who looked east and west.
Next: August 28, 2027
Where it comes from
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt am Main on 28 August 1749, and this Story marks his birthday. He began his autobiography with that moment: 'On 28 August 1749, at the stroke of twelve noon, I came into the world in Frankfurt am Main.' Taught at home by his father and private tutors, he studied law…
How it's celebrated
There is no formal observance. The Frankfurt house where he was born is now a museum, and the Goethe-Institut, named after him, teaches German and shares German culture in many countries. Anyone can mark the day by reading a few of his poems, or a page of Faust, aloud.
Did you know
In 1814, aged 65, he was given a German translation of the Persian poet Hafez, which inspired his West-Eastern Divan, first published in 1819.
Read the full story of Goethe's Birthday
Star sign
Virgo · August 23 – September 22 · Earth sign
Careful and kind, the one who notices what everyone else missed.