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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) is recognised as the greatest German literary figure of the modern era. An innovative writer of European stature in almost every genre from poetry to autobiography, and an early enthusiast for world literature, Goethe was also an impassioned investigator in many areas of natural science. As a self-declared 'citizen of the world', Goethe’s body of work, and openness to the world, continue to inspire and resonate today. Chaired by Ritchie Robertson, our panel discussed his life and legacy. Thinkers for our time is a series re-thinking the life and work of influential figures from across the Academy's disciplines, particularly history and the arts. This is the sixth in the series, following events exploring Sigmund Freud, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Malthus, Sylvia Pankhurst and Charlie Chaplin. Speakers: Dr Johannes Kaminski, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow, University of Vienna Dr Charlotte Lee, Lecturer in Modern German Studies, University of Cambridge Professor Dan Wilson, Professor of German, Royal Holloway, University of London Chair: Professor Ritchie Robertson FBA, Taylor Professor of the German Language and Literature, Fellow of The Queen’s College, University of Oxford and author of Goethe: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016)