Il Barometro di Goethe
A poet among clouds and currents
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, in his multifaceted activities as a scientist, was particularly attentive to meteorology. He observed the sky, noted changes in pressure, the motions of clouds, the direction of currents, and thus tried to grasp the secrets of the climate.
His interest in meteorology is well documented. In December 1822, for example, he compiled
Although Goethe does not directly mention the object known today as “Goethe’s barometer” in his writings, this instrument perfectly reflects his phenomenological approach to science: to know nature through direct observation, the senses, and experience, rather than reducing it to abstract formulas.
Therefore, the discovery of the instrument in his room after his death in 1832, coupled with his well-known passion for science led to the idea that he was its inventor and that it was therefore “Goethe’s barometer.”
With the use of this simple glass barometric jar, filled with colored water, with an open spout communicating with the outside world, he could record the changing weather: the level of the liquid in the spout rises or falls according to the changing atmospheric pressure, thus providing an immediate, visual, almost poetic reading of climatic variations.
A symbol of the universal spirit
Portrait of Goethe next to the barometer
Goethe’s barometer is more than just a meteorological instrument. It is a
Today, replicas of this elegant object can be found in homes, museums, and exhibitions. Not only as scientific instruments, but as evidence of a mind capable of combining observation and contemplation.
Visiting Goethe’s World
A Goethe-style barometer is often displayed in museum houses in Weimar or Frankfurt, and can enrich any cultural space dedicated to his legacy. A specimen is also kept in the Goethehaus in Palermo.
