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Several women played roles of different importance in Goethe's life. By far the strongest influence exerted on him Charlotte von Stein, think only on the ca. 1600 letters he wrote to her! She was able to inspire, motivate, criticise and corrigate him therefore her talent, her emotions are somewhere saved in Goethe's great work.

Charlotta Ernestina Bernadina von Stein was born in Eisenach on December 25, 1742. Her parents were Hofmarschall Johann Wilhelm Christian von Schardt and Concordia Elisabeth von Schardt. While her father was a wasteful eccentric, her mother who had had Scottish ancestors was said to be very quiet and dutiful. Her parents moved to Weimar when Charlotte was yet a little child and she was prepared for working as a lady-in-waiting. In 1758 Charlotte became a lady-in-waiting to Anna Amalia, Duchess of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach whom she served until the Duchess's death in 1807. On May 17, 1764, Charlotte married Baron Gottlob Ernst Josias Friedrich Freiherr von Stein (1735-1793). This was not a marriage out of love, but they got married for social and political interests. Often Charlotte remained alone in Weimar because her husband had to travel much serving the duke of Jena-Weimar. From 1764 to 1773 she gave birth to seven children: the four daughters died, three boys (Karl, Ernst, Fritz) survived.

In 1774 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Charlotte von Stein met in Weimar. It was the beginning of a deep friendship which lasted for twelve years. During this time she had a strong influence on the work and the life of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This period of her life might have been the happiest since she was in the centre of social life and attention and met with many famous personalities, e.g. Friedrich Schiller, Karl Ludwig Knebel and Johann Georg Zimmermann. In 1793 the deep friendship between Charlotte and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ended with his sudden departure to Italy without even telling her he wanted to go. Not until after 1800 did their relationship began to normalize and even then it never became as close as before. After her husband had died in 1793 Charlotte retired from society and became more and more lonely. In 1794 she wrote the drama Dido which was a literary self-portrait. It reflected the years from 1770 to 1790 and the situation in Weimar at that time. Charlotte von Stein died on January 6, 1827 in the age of 85.

On the photo you can see a part of her mansion in Großkochberg/Thuringia, when clicking on the map function you can get an overview of the whole complex and its surroundings.