Goethe on the steamer: Discover his journeys to ancient Switzerland!

Goethe on the steamer: Discover his journeys to ancient Switzerland!

On May 24, 2025, the steamship “Schiller” will open a very special special exhibition that deals with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's travels through ancient Switzerland and around Lake Lucerne. Exactly 250 years ago, in 1775, Goethe first visited this region, which greatly inspired him. The exhibition, curated by Sophie Mauch, offers passengers the opportunity to immerse themselves in Goethe's world and understand his experiences. Visitors have free access to the presentation, which is housed in the cabin, while traveling on the steamer.

Goethe, who never crossed the Alps but only visited ancient Switzerland, collected stones and bought crystals during his travels. During his stays in Switzerland, which he repeated in 1779 and 1797, he dealt intensively with the Tell legend and the customs of the mountain people, which also influenced his relationship with Friedrich Schiller. Schiller, who had never been to Switzerland himself, was motivated by Goethe's impressions to write the drama "Wilhelm Tell", which was first performed in Weimar in 1804 under Goethe's direction.

Opening ceremony and program

Today's vernissage will be hosted by Dr. Fritz Gantert opens and includes speeches by Georg Simmen and Martin Bütikofer. There will also be a theater performance with Michael Schwyter, who portrays Goethe and his servant Ludwig Geist. Piano melodies by Maggie Pemberton round out the opening ceremony. A museum day is also planned for May 25, 2025, which will include short tours and input on topics such as nature writing, sketching and haiku.

Permanent exhibition in the Sasso San Gottardo Museum

The exhibition is part of a comprehensive permanent exhibition at the Sasso San Gottardo Museum, which will be on view from June 1 to October 12, 2024. It discusses Goethe's three trips to the Gotthard and highlights aspects of geology, mineralogy and mining in this important region. In total, Goethe's rock and mineral collection includes around 200 samples from the Gotthard area, which are presented in the exhibition.

In addition, an accompanying book entitled “Goethe am Gotthard” will be published, which is available for 19.50 CHF. In Stäfa, where Goethe stayed for a month in 1797, the reading society has set up a small library with works about Goethe that is open to the public. A themed trail entitled “With Goethe on the Gotthard” will also open on August 24, 2024. The app-based route includes information boards at various points in the Gotthard region and invites you to follow Goethe's footsteps.

This exhibition makes an important contribution to the memory of Goethe's travels in Switzerland. nau.ch and goethe-schweiz.ch provide comprehensive information about the various events and exhibitions planned in this context.