119. Woldemar von Biedermann

Woldemar von Biedermann, who celebrated his eightieth birthday on March 5, is widely known for his contributions to Goethe literature. For thirty years, he has published studies on Goethe, edited his works, letters and conversations and devoted himself to their interpretation. But Biedermann is not only a researcher; he is also an interesting personality. Anyone who has spent an hour chatting with him will remember it fondly. The passion with which the old gentleman talks about things he is interested in reveals that he has kept his heart young. There is still something in him of the enthusiasm with which he sang rapturous songs about love and women fifty years ago. In 1847, he published poems under the pseudonym Ottomar Föhrau, which he called "a young singer". He also approached the figure of Goethe as a poet before turning his researcher's intuition to it. A play "Doctor Goethe in Weimar" is his first Goethe work. However, it was followed just one year later (1865) by his first academic work "Goethe and Leipzig". Biedermann is not a professional scholar. He was a Saxon civil servant for thirty-eight years. His numerous works are not scholarly enough for philologists. But they are indispensable for anyone who wants to get to know Goethe's life and work better. As co-editor of the Hempel and Weimar editions of Goethe's works, he rendered good service with his wide-ranging knowledge. His collection of "Goethe's Conversations", published a few years ago, is an almost monumental work.