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Walther Wolfgang von GoetheGerman composer and chamberlain
Date of Birth: 09.04.1818
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Walter Wolfgang von Goethe: A Musical Legacy in the Shadow of Genius
- The Goethe Legacy
- Later Life and Death
- Legacy and Family
Walter Wolfgang von Goethe: A Musical Legacy in the Shadow of Genius
Childhood and Early LifeWalter von Goethe was born in Weimar, Germany, as the eldest son of August von Goethe, the son of the renowned poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Despite his frail health, Walter inherited musical talent and received piano lessons from Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. However, his endeavors in songwriting and opera failed to achieve notable success.
The Goethe Legacy
The burden of his grandfather's fame weighed heavily on Walter. He lived in the attic of his grandfather's home in Weimar and fiercely opposed its transfer to the state. In 1859, he was granted the noble rank of Freiherr.
Later Life and Death
Walter von Goethe passed away on April 15, 1885, during a trip to Leipzig. In his will dated September 24, 1883, he bequeathed his grandfather's literary and artistic legacy to the Duchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. This donation paved the way for the creation of the Goethe National Museum in Weimar.
Legacy and Family
Walter von Goethe, along with his brother and sister, left no descendants. His grave bears the poignant epitaph, "With him, the Goethe lineage ended." Rumors persist that he, like his brother Wolfgang, had a non-heteronormative sexual orientation.
