Goethe, "The Sorrows of Wertherr," "Faust"

• Date: 1500-1799

• Location: Europe

• Subject: Religious & Political/Economic/Social Opinion

• Medium: Literature

• Artist/Author/Producer: Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (1749-1832)

• Confronting Bodies: The Lutheran authorities, German state, Franco

• Dates of action: 1776

• Location: Denmark, Germany, Spain

Description of the Art Work

"The Sorrows of Werther," 1774: Passion of Werther for a girl safely out of reach. The novel reflect the fatal effects of a predilection for absolutes, whether in love, art, society or the realm of thought.

"Faust," 1790: Dramatic poem in two parts. Part I (1808) is set out its hero (Faust) despair, his pact with Mephistopheles, and his love for Gretchen. Part II (1832) covers Faust's life at court, the winning of Helen of Troy and Faust's purification and salvation.

Description of incident

1776, Denmark: "The Sorrows of Werther" was prohibited under strict censorship exercised by the Lutheran authorities.

1808, Berlin, Germany: The State authorities suppressed the production of "Faust," until certain "dangerous passages" concerning freedom were deleted.

1939, Spain: Franco purged the libraries of the works of "such disgraceful writers" as Goethe.

Results of incident

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Record no 179