Johann Wolfgang von Goethe published the first part of Faust in 1888.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ( [ ˈgɜːrtə ] [ ˈjoːhan ˈvɔlfɡaŋ fɔn ˈɡøːtə ] ; 28 August 1749 -- 22 March 1832 ) was a German writer and statesman . During this period , Goethe published his second novel , Wilhelm Meister 's Apprenticeship , the verse epic Hermann and Dorothea , and , in 1808 , the first part of his most celebrated drama , Faust .