Goethes Geburtstag

Today is the birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, probably Germany's most celebrated writer, poet, playwright and all-round literary deity (he would be 261 today, if people lived that long).

Baby Johann was born in a house on Großer Hirschgraben in Frankfurt am Main. You can go for a look at the Goethehaus (in the city centre) and have a tour. However, it's not actually the same house. It is in the same location and looks just the same, but it had to be rebuilt after the original was destroyed in WWII (this goes for most of the 'old' things in Frankfurt actually; the 'Alte Oper' isn't really so 'alt' at all, having been finally rebuilt in 1981).

Crowds assembled outside the Goethehaus

Goethe is also commemorated with a Straße:

A Platz with its own Parkhaus:

and a fancy statue:

Amongst other things.

Frankfurt is very proud of its famous son, so please raise your glasses and join me (and no doubt the rest of the city) in saying:

"Alles Gute zum Geburtstag, Goethe!"
Happy birthday, Goethe!