Goethe is wrong here
Goethe is wrong here is a household phrase that has long been attributed to the philologist Heinrich Düntzer . It serves as an example of academic know-it-all.
origin
Heinrich Düntzer commented in his edition of Goethe's Conversations with Eckermann (Leipzig 1885) his statement (from March 5, 1830) that his “first and last” love was Lili Schönemann , with the comment (p. 283): “This could also be done Goethe not rightly claim. ”In his commentary on The natural daughter of Goethe (Jena 1859) he remarked (p. 16):“ That is wrong ”.
From this - whenever and however - the said dictum arose, probably in Germanist circles around 1900. Heinrich Düntzer's meticulous hints and remarks on Goethe were known, and word-like formulations can be found in his writings ("erren", "errig", "errthum") Etc.). The phrase passed into the general language and, as it is today, was used without reference to Goethe. In 1932 it was chosen as the title for a theater revue: Goethe is wrong here! In 1937 the book of the same name by Hanns Braun appeared with a collection of literary anachronisms ; In the “preliminary remark”, Braun discusses the question of origin, leaving open who could have coined the word in this way.
Lili Schönemann
Lili Schönemann met Goethe at a house concert and became engaged to him in the spring of 1775. The engagement was broken after six months, because the parents' houses were opposed to the connection and Goethe himself soon felt that Lili was restricting his life plans. Still, he couldn't forget Lili all his life.
literature
- Hanns Braun: Goethe is wrong here - among others. A reading of anachronisms from Homer to our time . Heimeran, Munich 1937; dtv, Munich 1966
- Leo Stausberg: Goethe is wrong here . In: Heimatjahrbuch for the Ahrweiler District 18, 1961, p. 59 f.
- Gerhard Müller: "Goethe is wrong here." Comments on a presumed quote . In: Goethe-Jahrbuch , Volume 129, 2012, pp. 201–208