Goethe

The famous German poet, Goethe, spent a lot of time in Ilmenau, wandering and writing and being Goethe. He wrote the Wandrers Nachtlied in the evening of September 6, 1780. He wrote it in pencil on the inside wall of a small hunting shack on the top of the Kickelhahn. However, it didn't appear in any of his works for 35 years. The day before his last birthday, fifty years later, he went to the hut again and remembered that he had written those words so long before and they were still there. Unfortunately, in 1870 the hut burned down so the original can no longer be seen.


Wandrers Nachtlied

Über allen Gipfeln
Ist Ruh,
In allen Wipfeln
Spürest du
Kaum einen Hauch;
Die Vögelein schweigen im Walde.
Warte nur, balde
Ruhest du auch.

Wanderer's Evening Song

Over all of the hills
Peace comes anew,
The woodland stills
All through;
The birds make no sound on the bough.
Wait a while,
Soon now
Peace comes to you.