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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 02 December 2020
The standard Weimar edition of Goethe's works is based upon the final edition of his collected works, Ausgabe letzter Hand, which was published 1827-30, and contained his latest revisions. Forty volumes appeared during his life. As regards the form and appearance of the edition, the editors state that their purpose is to adhere strictly to whatever is known to have had Goethe's personal authorization. “The Ausgabe letzter Hand is his legacy, and he himself regarded it as the conclusion of his life work. With great circumspection, and with a care such as had been employed in the case of no other edition of his writings, he exerted himself for the purity and perfection of this edition. The evidence of his active participation is shown in his correspondence with K. Göttling, to whom he entrusted the examination and correction of his manuscript, and with Reichel, the foreman of the Cotta press. We can follow his coöperation, first, in the single volumes of the Taschenausgabe (Ć), and, similarly, later in the octavo edition (C), which was based on a revision of the previous edition, and constitutes his final survey of the text.” “No departures were to be made from the readings of C except for imperative reasons. Changes based upon the manuscripts or earlier editions, or upon independent criticism must be shown to be necessary.” As regards changes, however, which Göttling admitted in various places, silently or without Goethe's express authority, fuller liberty was granted to the editors to amend, where a criticism of the text was based on the poet's use of words. In case of necessity a return to the former reading was allowed. The octavo edition was made authoritative for orthography and punctuation. A slavish adherence to this text was not contemplated so that the new edition should be a mere reprint of the old. Defects, inconsistent usages, and lack of uniformity in printing were to be banished, so far as was practicable, while everything that was necessary to illustrate the sound and the pronunciation, especially in foreign words, was to be retained. In cases of doubt regarding readings, the general usage of the poet was to be considered, and where no clear and unequivocal usage was evident, preference was to be given to modern forms. No other basis for a standard edition can be conceived than that it should rest primarily upon that form which presents the author's final revision. To make an earlier edition the foundation of the text would be to ignore the apparent wish of the writer, and not to follow his final judgment as regards literary form. At the same time, in the absence of the original autographs, or of the revised text which was submitted to the printer, it is impossible to determine accurately how far Goethe actually participated in the revision of any given work, how far changes received his approval, or occurred in the progress of a volume through the press. Goethe was not indifferent to the purity of his text, but, on the contrary, insisted on the greatest fidelity to the original. He wrote to Cotta, relative to the first edition of his works, saying that he desired that it should present an attractive appearance, “ but correctness is of far more importance to me, and for this I most urgently entreat. You see that the copy has been gone over and corrected with the greatest care, and I should be in despair if it should again appear disfigured. Have the kindness to entrust the proof-reading to a careful man, and I enjoin expressly that the volume which I send should be accurately followed, that nothing in the orthography, punctuation or aught else be changed, and that even if an error should remain, it be printed with the rest. In short, I desire and require nothing save the most accurate copy of the original which I transmit.” With a manifest desire for accuracy, Goethe entrusted the revision of his works largely to others, and he often failed to take the most obvious measures for securing the purity of his text. In publishing the Schriften, he took, as Professor Bernays has pointed out, the corrupt Himburg reprint as the basis for a portion of his text. From this reprint, numerous errors passed into the edition of his Schriften in eight volumes. Similarly, the edition of the Schriften in four volumes with its numerous errors became, in part, the foundation of the corresponding sections of the Werke (A). Certain works he subjected to careful, personal revision; others he entrusted mainly to his literary assistants, Riemer, Eckermann, Göttling and others, or to his amanuenses. Detailed work of this nature was irksome to him, and a long habit of dictation and working through others caused him to place an unjustifiable reliance upon men whose training and literary judgment were unequal to the task. He himself had no fondness for strife about verbal questions, and could detect “no grammatical vein in himself.” In many cases it must remain unsettled what amendments were actually authorized by the poet. Where an autograph revision is not preserved, the various editions often show changes due to accident or to the caprice of compositors. Goethe did not always have his own printed works at hand. He was often also without copies of his separate works, and on several occasions sought to buy or borrow a copy of Hermann und Dorothea. In a letter to Sömmering of August 21, 1797, he stated that he had not had a complete copy of his writings in his house for years, and desired him to purchase at auction in Frankfurt the ten volumes of his Schriften, even prescribing the price which should be paid. His own writings were like emancipated children which would not abide with him.
Note 1 in page 109 See the Vorbericht to the first volume of the Weimar edition, where the general principles which should guide the editors were laid down.
Note 1 in page 110 Briefe, xix, 65. See also his letter to Cotta of Feb. 7, 1805.
Note 2 in page 110 Letter to W. von Humboldt of July 16, 1798.
Note 3 in page 110 Letter to Eichstädt of Oct. 22, 1804.
Note 4 in page 110 Letter to Eichstädt of Feb. 19, 1806. See also Eckermann, vol. iii, p. 196 (Jan. 31, 1830).
Note 1 in page 111 Letter to Körner of Oct. 28.
Note 2 in page 111 See Goethe's diary from Sept. 9 to 19.
Note 1 in page 112 See his letter of June 28, 1797, to Goethe, in Goethe's Briefwechsel mit den Gebrüdern von Humboldt, edited by Bratranek.
Note 2 in page 112 See his letter from Frankfurt of Aug. 16, Goethe's Briefe, xii, 241.
Note 1 in page 113 Letter to Vieweg of July 12, 1798.
Note 1 in page 114 Hempel edition, vol. 29, p. 275.
Note 2 in page 114 See his diary of May 23.
Note 3 in page 114 See Goethe's letter to Zelter of Aug. 29, 1803.
Note 1 in page 115 See Schiller's letters of Oct. 16 and Dec. 30, in Vollmers Briefwechsel zwischen Schiller und Cotta (1876), also Goethe's letters to Cotta of May 1, and Aug. 12, and to Schiller of April 19, 1805. Briefe, Bd. xix.
Note 2 in page 115 Faust was once destined to constitute the fourth volume. See Goethe's letter to Cotta of Feb. 24, 1806.
Note 1 in page 116 See Goethe's Briefe, Ed. xix. Letters of Sept. 30, 1805; Feb. 24, June 20, Aug. 19, Oct. 27, and Dec. 8, 1806; and the corresponding lists in the Lesarten, pp. 505 and 512. See also the Tagebücher, Bd. iii.
Note 2 in page 116 See also Goethe's letter to Zelter of May 7, 1807.
Note 3 in page 116 The publication of these works was announced in the Morgenblatt of Feb. 27, and they were received by the poet on March 16. On Dec. 16 he wrote to Zelter that the second installment of his works had not been received, and again on May 3, 1808.
Note 4 in page 116 See the letters to Cotta of March 18, and to Zelter of March 27.
Note 5 in page 116 Letter to Cotta of Nov. 1, 1807.
Note 1 in page 117 See his letters to Zelter and to Reinhard of June 22.
It does not seem possible in all cases to accept the view that the presentation copies were the earliest. In many cases it can be shown that they were the latest, and were, on several occasions, not received until some months after the first publication.
Note 1 in page 118 Knebel to Goethe. Dec. 22, 1795.
Note 2 in page 118 An K. Solger, Archiv für Lit.-Gesch., xi, 126. May 22, 1805.
Note 3 in page 118 H. Voss to Goethe, July 31, 1805. G.-J., v, 48.
Note 1 in page 119 Biedermann, Goethes Gespräche, Bd. viii, pp. 292-93. From a letter of H. Voss to Abeken, dated Aug. 3, 1805.
Note 2 in page 119 See Schreyer, Goethe-Jahrbuch, x, 204; also the Introduction to my edition of the poem, 1891.
Note 1 in page 120 The Act of the German Parliament of Nov. 9, 1837, seems to have been the first adequate measure for establishing a general copyright law. See Schürmann, Die Rechtsverhältnisse der Autoren und Verleger, 1889.
Note 2 in page 120 A few of these differences may be noted. The date 1798 as here used refers to the original text in the Taschenbuch, and 1799 to the reprint of that year. The Berlin edition gives I, 24, manchen for manchem; 70, andre (1798, A) for andere (1799, 1806, etc.); ii, 98, keineswegs (1806) for keinesweges (1798, A); iii, 20, schmutzigen for schmutzigem; iv, 14, von for vom; 42, niemal for niemals; 100, sollen for sollten; 120, verbirgest (1798) for verbirgst (1806, A); 187, Garten for Gärten (1806, A); 225, erscheinet (1798) for erscheint (1799, 1806, A); vi, 7, reinerem for reineren; 88, zeigt‘ for zeig’; 130, Pfarrer (1798) for Pfarrherr (1806, A); 169, Andre for Andere; 175, gesehenket for gesehenkt; 205, ernährt for ernähret (1798, 1806, A); 210, zurückbleibet for zurückbleibt (1798, 1806, A); 251, darauf for drauf; 291, dem (1798) for den (1806, A); 295, den for dem; 302, Pfarrherr (1798) for Pfarrer (1806, A); 314, Slaubs (1798) for Staubes (1799, 1806, A); vii, 55, hieher for hierher; 63, nötiget for nötigt; 73, darauf for drauf (1798, etc.); 83, freun for freuen; 155, zerstreun for zerstreuen (1799, 1806); 156, Stehet (1798) for steht (1799, 1806, A); 176, gesehen for gesehn; viii, 19, kluges for gutes; ix, 65, Pfarrer (1799, A) for Pfarrherr (1806); 77, in gutem (1798) for im guten (1806, A); 97, den Armen for der Armen; 141, Stille (1798) for stillen 1806 (still A); 252, an for am; 255, Erinnerung (1806) for Erinnrung (1798, A); 261, gehen for gehn; 265, und (1798) for uns (1799, 1806 A); 266, vom for von; 299, Erschütterung for Erschüttrung. Other errors, chiefly orthographical and not affecting the metre, are found as in: i, 24, 71, 89, 168, 173; ii, 11, 247; iii, 31, 39, 66, 88; iv, 29, 136, 176, 184, 223; vi, 30, 114, 164, 283, 309; vii, 17, 26, 56, 57 (2), 154, 164, 203; vii, 180, 261, 277, 286.
Note 1 in page 121 My own copies of this edition (A) do not correspond as regards the dates of publication with the statement made by E. Schmidt in the Goethe-Jahrbuch, Bd. xvi, 262. He states that in A, volumes vi and vii bear the date 1807, while in A' the same volumes bear the date 1808. In one of my copies, volumes i-iv have the date 1806, vols. v and vii 1807, and vols. vi, viii and the remaining volumes 1808. In a second and third copy (A'?) the dates of the foregoing volumes are, i-iv, 1806; v and vi, 1807; vii-xii, 1808. The readings of the first copy correspond with those given by Strehlke (Hempel edition, vii, 196-299, quoted by Minor, Weimar edition, viii, 341-2), except that on p. 255, 1. 25, Vertraue (W. and No. 1) stands for Vertrau (No. 2); p. 292, 1. 11 lies'ts (W. and No. 1) stands for lies't (No. 2); and p. 299, 1. 25, Streit (Nos. 1 and 2) stands for Schritt (W.).
Note 1 in page 123 The name Göthe is thus spelled in the authorised editions of 1798, 1799 (2), 1803, 1805, 1806, 1807, 1808, 1812, 1814 V [1816], 1820, 1822 [1823], 1826, 3828, 1829 V (2), 1830, and in the reprints of 1798 (2), 1799, 1801, 1803, 1804 (but Goethe on the portrait), 1806, 1810 Wien. and Prag. and Köln, 1814 (?); it is printed Goethe in the Schriften (1787-90), N. S., n. s., A., a., 1814 C., 1816 Bauer, 1817, B'., B., 1829 C., C'., C., Q., and in the reprints of 1822 Tr., 1822 Stuttg., 1823 Prose, 1823 Luxem., 1828 Trans.
Note 1 in page 124 The widow of a book-binder, Joh. Wilhelm Spitz, had a stationery shop in 1797; Wilhelm Spitz was a book-binder in 1813; later he was a printer, and in 1819 he conducted a circulating library. He issued reprints of Hermann und Dorothea, Iphigenie, Wilhelm Tell (1816), and of Goethe's Gedichte (1814).
Note 1 in page 125 The text of the new edition of Goethe's works was sent to Cotta, so far as I can determine: 1815, Feb. 20, Vols. 1 and 2; March 27, Vols. 3, 4, 5, 6: 1816, March 11, Vols. 7 and 8; May 11, Vol. 9; July 8, Vol. 10; Aug. 31 (?), Vol. 11; Oct. 23, Vol. 12; Dec. 18, Vols. 13 and 14: 1817, Feb. 24, Die guten Weiber; April 18, Vols. 17-19; (?), Vol. 20. The publication of the first volumes was delayed, so that Zelter wrote that the sale of the Vienna reprint, in spite of its defects, was increasing in Berlin. Letter of Feb. 18, 1816.
Note 1 in page 127 Seuffert, B., Goethes Erzählungen, “ Die guten Weiber,” Goethe-Jahrbuch, Bd. xv, 148.
Note 2 in page 127 It may not be without interest to note that vol. viii of the reprint of the Neue Schriften presents in many points a like orthography (1801).
Note 1 in page 128 See Eckermann's Gespräche mit Goethe, for June 11, and Oct. 2, 1823, and May 6, 1824.
Note 1 in page 129 See Goethe's letter to Staatsrath Schultz of June 28, 1824, in the Berlin collection, Goethe's Briefe, Bd. iii, Abt. ii, p. 1324; also to Schubarth of March 21, 1825, in Briefe Goethes an K. Schubarth in the Deutsche Rundschau, Vol. 5, p. 38 (1875).
Note 2 in page 129 For the history of Göttling's relation to this edition of Goethe's works, see Briefwechsel zwischen Goethe und K. Göttling in den Jahren, 1824-31, München, 1880.
Note 1 in page 130 See Eckermann, March 17, 1830.
Note 2 in page 130 Letter to Göttling of Oct. 8, 1825.
Note 1 in page 131 Boas, Nachträge zu Goethe's sämmtlichen Werken, Bd. ii, 224-232.
Note 2 in page 131 See Goethe's letters to the Saxon Minister of Nov. 1, and to Staatsrath Schultz of Dee. 18. Goethe's Briefe, Berlin, iii, 2, p. 1372.
Note 3 in page 131 For Cotta's relation to this edition, see the correspondence between Goethe and Boisserée in Sulpiz Boisserée, Bd. ii, from Dec. 12, 1823 to Sept. 29, 1826.
Goethe continued his labor on the as yet unpublished volumes, and on Jan. 5, 1831, had ten new volumes almost ready for the press.* On May 15, he signed, in connection with Eckermann, a contract containing the terms under which Eckermann should publish after Goethe's death the volumes which were already complete, as well as the remaining.
* To Müller, Jan. 5, 1831, Biedermann, viii, 3; the same, viii, 84.
Note 1 in page 132 The canon of orthography which Göttling followed in this edition is reprinted in the Weimar edition, vol. I, p. xxii.
Note 1 in page 135 There were two editions of this poem which appeared in 1799—one containing 235 pages (1799a), and one 231 pages (1799b). These two editions present the same text, but minor differences in orthography; as, ergötzend (1799b) for ergetzend (i, 60; iv, 188); betrachtet' for betrachtet (vii, 11); dringet for dringt (ii, 32).
Note 2 in page 135 The two Vieweg editions, royal octavo, of 1822 and 1829, show orthographical differences; as, Hermann (1829) for Herrmann; Pfarrer for Pfarrherr (i, 185).
Note 3 in page 135 The errors originating in the first unauthorized reprints of 1798 and of 1806 were recognized, and removed in my fifth edition of the poem (1895).