Winterströme: Goethes erste Harzreise , and: Im Labyrinth der Täler: Goethes zweite Harzreise , and: Die Würde der Steine: Goethes dritte Harzreise (review)

This review examines Bernd Wolff's three novels, which intricately weave Goethe's Harz journeys into the broader context of his literary and scientific development during his first decade in Weimar. The novels, rooted in detailed historical and geological accounts of the Harz region, including its mining heritage such as the Rammelsberg mines, reveal how these expeditions influenced Goethe's evolving worldview, from his early works like Harzreise im Winter to his later scientific and philosophical pursuits, including osteological studies and Spinozist thought. Wolff's extensive knowledge of Goethe's oeuvre, the Weimar milieu, and the Harz's human and geological history—despite not being a professional Germanist—enhances the narratives with authenticity, blending courtly intrigue, natural wonders like the Teufelskanzel, and the region's mining legends. The review highlights how these journeys served as both a framework for Goethe's literary conceptions and a catalyst for his growing interest in natural sciences.

Powers, E. (2011). Winterströme: Goethes erste Harzreise , and: Im Labyrinth der Täler: Goethes zweite Harzreise , and: Die Würde der Steine: Goethes dritte Harzreise (review). Goethe Yearbook, 18(1), 301–304. https://doi.org/10.1353/gyr.2011.0473