Johann Wolfgang von Goethe was one of the most famous and most important literary figures in Germany. He was born in Frankfurt on August 28, 1749, and died in Weimar on March 22, 1832. He wrote poems, plays, and novels. In addition to literature, he was interested in physical sciences, worked as a theater director and critic, and held political positions in Weimar. He and Schiller are considered the two pillars of the Classical period in Germany. His notable works include the novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774), the poem Prometheus (1774), and the autobiographical work Italian Journey.