Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ( [ ˈgɜːrtə ] [ ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfɡaŋ fɔn ˈɡøːtə ] ; 28 August 1749 -- 22 March 1832 ) was a German writer and statesman . In 1791 , he was made managing director of the theatre at Weimar , and in 1794 he began a friendship with the dramatist , historian , and philosopher Friedrich Schiller , whose plays he premiered until Schiller 's death in 1805 .
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe became managing director of the theater at Weimar in May 1791.