Sprungmarken

In the 18th century, two springs fed two wells just beyond Wöllbach Gate, one for drinking water and the other for washing. Goethe was often at the Wildbach/Wollbach Well. In Goethe’s epistolary novel, the well is mentioned in Werther’s letters of May 12, May 15, and June 6. Today it is known as the Goethe Well and is located on Wahlheim Weg.

Also on Wahlheim Weg was once an English-style landscaped garden mentioned several times in Werther. The road passes through the hills along the Lahn River Valley on its way to Garbenheim, called Wahlheim in Goethe’s Werther. In Garbenheim there is a small monument in the square bearing Goethe’s name, commemorating his frequent visits there in 1772. Werther’s letters of May 26, May 27, June 21 and July 8 testify to the deep impression the village and its people made on Goethe. The local history museum has a reconstruction of the old village square as it once was.

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