The New York herald., 1875-11-07
The Centenary Celebra ton at
Weimar To-Day.
THE SAKULARFEIER.
"reminiscences Of Germany'S Golden
enie-Periode."
HERR KEIL'5 FESTGABE.
From the Pail Mall Gazette, ]


Of their great has been nowhere carried to such
extremes among the Germans The achievement OF
national unity gave a further impulse TO tendency
already sufficiently strong and most people begin
ming to weary of the search for heroes in remote ages
and of attempts to revive memories that had faded
from all but the mind Of the professional scholar, in
order to glorify the Fatherland. The world is not
likely to prove indifferent to anything that VIII
elucdate the life and character OF Goethe but it will
require all the magic influence of his and fame to
him from the indignity which tho centenary i'm
petus seems about TO put upon him. 1t has been bad
enough celebrate the centenary anniversaries of the
birth of all Germans who have reputation; but
the word has gone forth to celebrate in addition all
the epochs into which Germans fond with their
love of classification, of dividing every great life The
first fruits of this idea present the plan for
memorating the 7th of November 1875, the cente-
nary of Goethes entry into Weimar which took place
the 7th OF November, 1775 On that date it is pro-
posed to hold ''Sakularieier''; and preliminary,
"Festgabe' suited to the occasion has been prepared
by Herr Keil in two small volumes, and has just
the light at Leipzig. Although Herr Keil up
afresh much that has become stale he has yet collected
interesting material regarding the early years or
Goethe in Weimar and his relations at that time with
Corona Schroter
GOETHE AND CORONA
Goethe and Corona the beautiful and fascinating artistic
the second For time she took captive the errant
fancy OF the poet, SO that he sang OF her.
Es g5nnten ihr die Musen jede Gunst,
und die Natur erschuf in ihr die kunst;
nd aas sess m DEM Nance sSsa e se' corons s@l b
Leaving aside for the present the pleasant and pic
turesque chapters on Corona confne ourselves to
the illustrations of Goethes character and in
early life at Weimar during the days OF Germany's
GeniePeriode when the feast Of and the flow
of soul fuller richer and stimulating than
In any but the few exceptional periods that stand out
prominently in historysuch as the age Of Perices in
Greece, the Elizabethan age in England and
the later period of development Of English
genius during the latter part of the eight
eenth and the opening of the nineteenth centu-
ries Weimar was the centre of the German culture
of the period though it only shared with other rivals
the honor of contributing to the development of a
genuine German literature Herr Keis contributions
Goehean literature do not bind approve Of the
Goethe ''Sakularieier"
Goethe entered wcimar as the guest Of the Duke
Charles Augustus, the 7th of November, 1775 and
Herewith commenced an association which was to
dure throughout the poet hie OF course the a1thor
of "A Hundred Years Ago" assures US that new
epoch began on that day, not for Goethe and Wemar
only, but for all German literature.
GoETHE's
Whether the years between 1775 and 1882 the
most attractive OF Goethe's life not there is both
freshness and peasantness in the light which is thrown
on the life OF the poet the character and dongs of his
royal friend and patron and his relations with the most
charming of German artists The contribution which
chiefly interests is the diary of Goethe from the
year 1776 to 1882 which has not been before published
except in extracts The letters which preixed to
the diary of much less importance and have been
already published in part The one Of principal mo-
he sent 10 the poet and OF which only a
fragment had previously appeared The poeti-
Sh @ apaarx though sOc'e on names @
of the persons referred in IL said have
filled in by Goethe in pencil, will not prove of much
advantage either to history literature The diary OF
\ Goethe occupies different position from the other
\ contents OF the volume
IL has been remarked that Goethe LETT no descriptions
in those happy days OF the Genie Periode spent in
Weimar although he has left suggestion of what it
might have been in the statement that an account of
| rhafNga lone m ham fulu andin N
credible. He may have been restrained by feelings Of
delicacy regarding the friends and Freundinnen" Of
he felt for the Duke Charles Augustus
and his family. Yet all the while Goethe
had preserved faithful representation of the charac-
teristics of Wemar life and his share in its abors
and exercises in the secret diary which contained
chronicle OF whaN passed. Riemer Goethes conhden-
tia friend in his Essays on Goethe, ls4l" published
fragments of the diary, and thus made them the
mon property of the literary world.
LETTERS STEIN
Seven years later in ls4s 'Goethes letters to Frau
Stein, from the year 1776 TO 1921 appeared,
edited by scho and contained extracts from the diary
of the year lT77 Yet recently Burkhardt
printed in the Grenzo Of 1874 further Fragments but
only for the first time have the diary entire The
editor has had access TO two complete copies dating from
March IL 1776 to March 1882 which agree in all sub
\ stantia respects careful comparison has assured
him that he has given the original correctly in all i'm
portant particulars and the diary made nteiligible
to the public by a running commentary supplied in
| notes aud by illustrations from letters Of the period
The 1lth OF March, 1875 is the first in the diary
and, although subsequently the habit of diary keeping
was maintained by the poet throughout his life he
does not seem to have kept any document OF the kind
before he began the one in question at Wemar. The
/ form of the entries IS Tor the most part OF
the baldest and curtest description. Bare
notices OF events given in the brieest possible
terms, and by aid of sort OF hiorogyphs, which re-
i qure to be interpreted. In the later parts the
| poet is more communicative and together with re-
marks on the events and occupations of the day VIC
have reflections on himself and his own character and
on the dispositions OF his friends so that the docu-
! ment becomes mirror Of tho time. Astronomical
signs the purpose Of Authorizations for the names
/ of individuals. The sign for Jupiter desgnatcs the
Duke the sign of the moon stands for the Duchess
Anna Amalia, the sign OF the designates the Frau
Won Stein, and other signs stand for the Duchess
Louise and the Countess Werthcr. Mr.. Lewes has
spoken OF Goethes laborcusness aud has said that he
was never happier than when at work and his secre
tary, krauter remarked that even in old age he was
the most diltgent man under the sun. We see these
/ qualities illustrated in the diary.
cARLYLE's TEST GENIUS.
Even in those early years he had abundantly that
capacity Tor taking trouble which is Caryc's test oil
genius. In 1850 find him writing Of his days being
fully occupied from morning TIL night and they were
full of every variety OF intellectual exercise business
interests, artistic discussions dscourses upon morals
and philosophy not excluding amusements at the the.
tre on the ice and conversations on poetry and the
\ drama at and after dinner. There time for
everything. yet everything could be done at leisure.
While the poet was engrossed with dry affairs Of State
/ or planning royal theatre or discussing phos-
/ ophy with the Duke, he yet had room
\ for any amount OF Irritation and even for
much serious love making Distinguished from
other more ephemera attachments in these days were
the poets attachments to the Frau Stein and Cor
ona Schrotcr upon his relations with whom tho diary
supplies much information IL also eucdates the
rous works Of the period produced by Goethe and there
are brief scfreveations and reflections full OF sgnh
cancc.
The diary OF the womar "Gcnlus Pcriodr closed on
the 9th OF March, 1882 and the diaries which he subse
quenty continued 10 write till old age kept fast
der lock and key, and no say when whether
at all they will see the light The valuable ought
the prcst nt diary 70 be to the admirers OF Goethe The
student OF Goethe will be surprised by nothing
as the frequency and exceeding tenderness OF the
ences 10 Corona Schroter.
DUAL LOVE.
AT the time he writing the most passionate let
ters TO the Frau von Stein he tanning with equal
devotion the passion OF and for Corona After the
er months OF his residence Wcimar have passed il
is the name most frequently to DO met with He Is
always spending the hours with Corona by Decem
ber ~, l1I6 he has discovered that "Corona very
beautiful After that date she Is never absent from
his diary for any length OF time Sometimes even the
Frau Won Stein and Corona have been listening In com
pany 10 the poets romantic oupourmgs in moonlight
scenes In his Charming garden He is in ecstacy al
Coronas singing as she plays 70 him TO make him
happy. another WI havo cLatr