Anyone who thinks that Germany's greatest poet secured his place in world literature solely with Faust is mistaken. Whether it concerns questions about God and nature, society and history, the relationship between thought and action, or the role of literature in an individual's reality: even centuries after the poet's life, his maxims and reflections offer answers for each of us. For here, as in a burning mirror, crystal-clear intellectual sharpness and utmost linguistic precision are employed. These are gems of human thought and unparalleled testimonies of a continually new linguistic approach to humanity itself and the great mystery of our existence. The anthology gathers sentences about human nature, philosophy and religion, history and society, art and science, and much more.