Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

One of the preeminent figures in German literature, poet, playwright, and novelist Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1749. The child of an imperial councilor, Goethe had a thoroughly classical education before entering Leipzig University in 1765. Though he was there to study law, Goethe earned accolades for his poetry, written in the lyric and rococo style, and completed his first collection, Annette, a collection of love poems. In 1768, Goethe suffered a severe lung infection and spent nearly a year and half convalescing, during which time he wrote the Leipzig Songbook, a series of ten poems set to melodies.