48. Goethe Days in Weimar
Report on the 13th General Assembly of the German Goethe Society Unfortunately, this year we had to do without the presence of the deserving treasurer, Dr. Moritz. He usually knew how to spice up the dry cash report with all kinds of witty interjections. His report, which was read out, showed that the society is in a good financial position and has recently recorded an increase in membership.
On October 8, the members of the German Goethe Society gathered in Weimar for the thirteenth time to celebrate their beloved Goethe Festival. For the first time, they had to celebrate this festival without seeing the personality in their midst to whom the Goethe community owes an immeasurable debt of gratitude: The Grand Duchess Sophie of Saxony. On March 23 of this year, this woman, whose name is forever linked to German literary studies through the founding of the Goethe and Schiller Archive, passed away.
Her presence gave the festival a special glow in past years; the memory of her, the mourning for her, gave it its character this time. Goethe Day was therefore to be celebrated in connection with a memorial service for the deceased woman. The two societies that owe their prosperity to the deceased, the Goethe Society and the Shakespeare Society, decided to do so. And the management of the Goethe and Schiller Archives, the Schiller Foundation and the Grand Ducal Court Theatre joined forces with the aforementioned societies to organize a celebration in memory of their caretaker and protector. Kuno Fischer was called upon to dedicate a memorial speech to the memory of the deceased. He is bound to the Weimar court by ties of friendship. The loyalty and devotion to the Princely House that his relationship with it inspired in him were expressed in his memorial speech on October 8. His view of life and the world, his attitude and feelings enabled him to understand the Grand Duchess's way of thinking like few others. The deceased was a princess in the most genuine sense of the word, a personality who set herself great tasks because she had a high conception of her princely profession and because this task gave her a rare energy. There is greatness in this conception; and Kuno Fischer had taken on the task of describing the nature of this greatness. The speaker wanted to make clear how much of this power, which was her own, was due to her descent from the determined and energetic Orange family. This energy is expressed in the motto of the House of Orange: "Je maintiendrai". The Grand Duchess Sophie also made it her own and translated it into the German words: "Rule over oneself is the prerequisite for any activity and for the serious, conscientious execution of duties assumed." From studying the history of the house, the Princess developed a mastery over herself and a strong sense of duty. The speaker sought to clarify the extent to which the fortunes of this house are particularly suited to creating such an awareness by means of a historical account. He clearly explained what a misguided upbringing and a favorable school of life had contributed to raising this woman to the heights of her views. He described the Dutch nature of her character. He deduced her love for German literature from the fact that she found the deeds of the heroes so close to her celebrated in this literature. Schiller and Goethe made Dutch greatness the reproach of their poetry and works. In German literature, the Grand Duchess found her home again. The history of her fatherland confronted her in German art.
The musical part of this celebration has already been mentioned. It has also been mentioned there that the court theater offered an atmospheric performance of Gluck's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" on the evening of the same day. We will only add that the performance was highly successful under Bernhard Stavenhagen's excellent direction. Miss Hofmann (Orpheus) and Mrs. Stavenhagen (Eurydice) made a strong impression on the guests.
October 9 was dedicated to the actual Goethe meeting. The participants of this meeting will take home a lasting memory. The director of the Goethe and Schiller Archive, Professor Suphan, shared the part of Grand Duchess Sophie's will in which she secured the future of Goethe's estate for all time. Kuno Fischer's words could not have found a stronger affirmation than they have received through this will. The care of Goethe's estate, which was given to her as a gift by the last grandson of Goethe, was a matter close to this woman's heart and a great duty during her lifetime. She made material sacrifices and devoted a great deal of time and effort to it. She cared for her like a mother. Her beautiful words speak for themselves. The will reads: "I, Sophie of Saxony, Royal Princess of the Netherlands, hereby certify the following: By accepting the legacy of Baron Walter von Goethe, I have also assumed responsibility for the reverent preservation of the treasures from Goethe's estate for all time. I bear the same responsibility towards the legacy of Schiller, as well as all the manuscripts of other outstanding German poets acquired by donation and purchase. At the same time, it gives me particular pleasure not only to have seen to the completion of the Goethe edition and the Goethe biography, but also to have ensured that the treasures in my possession are made usefully accessible and that Weimar is preserved so that it will continue to be the intellectual center of Germany. I have therefore ordered that a family entailed estate be established for the preservation of these treasures, which shall be inalienable. In notarizing this family fideicommissum, I ask my lord husband to give the sovereign's confirmation in the form of a statutory provision." The Goethe and Schiller Archive will be the property of the respective head of the Grand Ducal House. The latter is obliged to ensure the preservation and management of the treasure accordingly.
The chairman, Dr. Ruland, concluded his report on the Goethe National Museum with this important announcement by Suphan. He drew attention to a picture newly acquired by this museum and exhibited in the June Room of the Goethe House. The personality depicted and the painter are unknown. It dates from the end of the last century or the beginning of this century. Anyone who has looked at the picture will have to agree with Ruland's opinion that it depicts Frau Rat in old age. Her and Goethe's features are unmistakable. The picture was formerly owned by William Candidus in Cronberg. Ruland also mentioned another addition to the museum. The Countess Vaudreuil, the wife of the French envoy, was on friendly terms with the Goethe family during her stay in Weimar. Goethe's hand drawings were found in her estate. Her descendants have added these to the Weimar treasures.
In the afternoon, the guests gathered for the usual lunch. The old heads of the Goethe community and the young strikers, who despite naturalism and "modernism" look up to Goethe with admiration, sat side by side. Julius Rodenberg, Karl Frenzel, Marie von Bunsen and Lina Schneider, Freiligrath's daughter, were present. The Minister of Education under the second Auersperg Ministry, Dr. von Stremayr, and Professor Oncken from Giessen were in our midst. One of the "youngest", Otto Erich Hartleben, who has repeatedly appeared in Weimar on this occasion, was also present this time. The festive toasts had a serious character this time. The impression of the loss suffered was felt. Ruland toasted the Grand Ducal House; Stremayr brought greetings from German-Austria. His kind words, which came from a good German-Austrian heart, had a beneficial effect. One could hear from his toast that the German spirit and German sentiments are still alive in Austria. Oncken proposed a toast to the ladies.
The Goethe and Schiller Archive, which opens its rooms to visitors during the Goethe Days, exhibited manuscripts by Freiligrath and Gustav Freytag, among other papers from the classical and post-classical periods.
As they do every year, Goethe's guests gathered in the evening hours at the Weimar Artists' Association. The atmospheric rooms, which the Grand Duke made available to the artists of Weimar for their cozy get-together, are gladly visited by the members of the Goethe Society. A free and unfettered life prevailed there until the early hours of the morning. And artists such as Burmester and Stavenhagen, then the excellent singers Heinrich Zeller and Gmür delighted the guests with many an artistic gift, which was often received with greater enthusiasm than the official performances. What was difficult to find during the course of the day: informal enjoyment, mutual open-heartedness, was enjoyed here for many hours.
The celebration concluded with a performance in the Grand Ducal Court Theater of Shakespeare's "Winter's Tale" with Miss Richard as Hermione and Karl Weiser as Leontes.