Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832) and Friedrich Schiller (1759–1805) are by far the two most famous and most influential German poets. In German highschool literature classes, an entire year is devoted to their lives and to to their opus.
The Goethe–Schiller Monument in front of the German National Theater in Weimar is a pilgrimage target for literature buffs from all over the world.
The 12 feet tall bronze monument was created in 1857 by sculptor Ernst Friedrich August Rietschel. Over the years, it has sparked numerous copies and today one can find replicas of the original monument anywhere from San Francisco, California to Anting, China.
Goethe is generally the greater one of the two (perhaps because he lived twice as long than Schiller). Thus, it is Goethe holding the laurel wreath, while Schiller is just touching it. Also, in real life, Schiller was about a foot taller than Goethe, which is not shown in the monument.
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