Montblanc Writers Edition Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Roller

At the center of the intellectual awakening of the 18th century stood one man in particular, whose written word has stood the test of time: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Polymath, giant of German literature, lawyer, minister, theater director, and a gifted collector and naturalist, he was in every respect a revolutionary, determined to push the boundaries of perception and knowledge. Driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge, his creative versatility knew no bounds.

The philosophical depth of Faust, the lyrical subtlety of his poetry, and the breadth of the scientific research behind his theory of colors and botanical treatises were of groundbreaking significance and testify in their diversity and far-reaching influence to Goethe's genius. As a poet and statesman, advisor, friend, and lover, he has left an indelible mark on the world around him and continues to serve as a source of inspiration and vision to this day. With the support of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar and the Goethe National Museum that houses it, Montblanc dedicates its Writers Edition Hommage to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Limited Edition to this universal genius, with special attention to his literary works.

Writing was Goethe's lifeblood. The largest edition of his complete works and writings currently comprises 40 volumes, with some 3000 poems alone. His drama, Götz von Berlichingen, was published anonymously in 1773, but just a year later, after a period of feverish activity, he wrote The Sorrows of Young Werther in less than four weeks, instantly making the 25-year-old lawyer famous. The Sorrows of Young Werther put German writing on the European literary map. It is the story of a young man caught between love and duty, between burning passion and social conventions. An entire generation saw itself reflected in the fate of the unfortunate Werther. The novel even influenced this limited edition: the impressive description of marble inspired the appearance of the precious lacquer on the cap and the barrel, while the engraving on the ring of the barrel is reminiscent of the framing of a copper engraving in an early Werther edition.

Another important design feature refers to Goethe's house in Weimar. The blue hue and pattern of the precious lacquer reflect the color and texture of the wallpaper in the Juno room in the writer's house. The distinctive gilded and platinum-coated fittings also evoke other decorative elements in the interior. A charming pattern, similar to a string of clover leaves, is engraved around the top of the cap. This detail comes from a letter that Goethe wrote to his beloved Charlotte Buff, who was the model for the character of Lotte in The Sorrows of Young Werther. An outstanding work of the Sturm und Drang movement, the epistolary novel by the young Goethe, was praised as a brilliant inspiration and, above all, as a masterpiece of world literature. In a letter dated January 26, 1827, Goethe interpreted the term 'world literature' much more literally than today, referring to a global process of literary communication and mutual artistic stimulation.

Just as he incorporated elements of Persian poetry into his West-Eastern Divan cycle, such literature should strive to be an expression of universality, transcending all linguistic, ethnic, and worldly barriers. As a symbol of this concept of a global literary dialogue, embodied by Goethe's term 'world literature,' the cap takes the shape of a globe, crowned with the Montblanc emblem. Faust's thirst for knowledge and his irresistible urge to unveil the secrets of the world reflect Goethe's own passion for researching natural phenomena. At an advanced age, he even considered his scientific achievements to be more valuable than his poetic ones. In his Theory of Colors, he covered a wide range of topics, from physics to color psychology, and opened up an entirely new perspective on the essence of color.

He also devoted himself to optics and anatomy, biology and geology, and archived thousands of scientific specimens in jars and boxes. The slightly curved shape of the cap, resembling a historical glass jar of a chemist, is a tribute to Goethe's achievements as a scientist and collector. The clip in the shape of a leaf honors his studies in the field of morphology and specifically his proposal for an archetypal plant form. He even translated this idea into verse form in his didactic love poem The Metamorphosis of Plants. The inspiration for the overall design of this limited edition, especially for the holder and the cone, is derived from the type of historical writing instrument with which Goethe put all his knowledge, insights, and the fruits of his seemingly boundless poetic imagination on paper.