Goethe at 28

Goethe's drawing of Kochberg, 1779

Goethe was often on the road, traveling by horse, on official duties. On August 27, 1777, he set out from Weimar and overnighted at Kochberg, the von Stein estate. His diary reports: "Langsam ritt ich nach Kbg. fand sie froh und ruhig und mir wars so frey und wohl noch den Abend." This was in the early Weimar years, when Goethe was seeking to conquer the affections of Charlotte von Stein, and Kochberg exerted a strong attraction. According to Wolfgang Vulpius (Goethe in Thüringen), whenever Goethe could free himself from official duties, he hurried to Kochberg. Letters reveal that he was a favorite with her children and even her servants. For the most part, his diary does not reveal "ungetrübtes Glück an der Seite der Herrin von Kochberg," while his letters to her often reveal instead that he left Kochberg deeply disappointed and unhappy. In fact, he wrote the following note to her on August 27: "Meine Verständnisse sind dunckel, nur ist mir ziemlich klar dass ich Sie liebe."

Still, things must have gone well between him and Charlotte. The next day was his twenty-eighth birthday, and it was a good day. As he wrote in his diary: "wachte an m. Geburtstag mit der schönen sonne so heiter auf dass ich alles was vor mir liegt leichter ansah." In his note to her that morning, he wrote: "Morgen d. 28 meinen Geburtstag dencken Sie an mich! Noch einmal Adieu. Es ist doch in der Welt immer Abschiednehmen. ... Ich bin oft bey Ihnen." And then he was on his way to meet the duke in Ilmenau.

The last time Goethe was at Kochberg was on September 5, 1788, after his return from Italy. He was accompanied by Karoline Herder, Sophie von Schardt, and Charlotte's sixteen-year-old son, Fritz.  Herder's wife reported a chilly reception. No doubt Charlotte was disappointed in Goethe for bringing others with him. As Vulpius writes: company made impossible a face-to-face private conversation. In any case, the relationship was not to be restored. Charlotte had accused him with bitterness of unfaithfulness, a reproach he felt unfounded. And so, according to Vulpius, "Die Saite, der Goethe so zauberhafte Töne entlockt hatte, war zerrissen und verstummt." (The string from which Goethe had elicited such magical tones was torn and became silent.)