Celebration of Goethe's Birth Starts Tonight

Harvard makes its six-week contribution to the world wide Goethe Bicentennial beginning tonight with a lecture by Stuart P. Atkins, assistant professor of German Literature, on "Goethe and World Literature" at 8 p.m. in the Fogg Large Room.

Almost a full year of preparation has gone into the local celebration of the German poet's birth. The German Department's bow to Goethe is one of the last in a succession of praise and reminiscence all over the world during the past year.

Complete Collection

The Goethe collection here is one of the most complete. Goethe was in close contact with several Harvard professors and during his lifetime sent manuscripts, a set of collected works, and some scientific data to scholars here. These contributions are currently on exhibit in Widener and in the Germanic Museum.

Goethe mementoes on display here constitute the best collection of the German writer's possessions now in the western hemisphere.

Spender Will Lecture

Four more meetings are scheduled for the Goethe festival. Miss Olga Fabian, actress and lecturer, will read some of Goethe's poems on November 3. Stephen Spender will lecture on the "Outer and Inner Worlds of Goethe" on November 17.

Howard Mumford Jones, professor of English, and the Glee Club will join forces in a Goethe program slated for December 1. Karl Victor, professor of German, an internationally renowned Goethe authority, will finish up the proceedings with a lecture in German, "Goethe Bild des Lebens," on December 8.

Arrangements for the Goethe festival here were made under the direction of Atkins.