Person

Johann Gottfried Herder

1744–1803 · 18th century · Also known as Herder

Johann Gottfried Herder was a German philosopher, theologian and writer, born in Mohrungen in East Prussia. A leading figure of the Sturm und Drang and of Weimar Classicism, he argued that each people has its own language, culture and character, and he collected folk songs from many nations. From 1776 he was the chief Lutheran clergyman of Saxe-Weimar, where he worked alongside Goethe, Wieland and Schiller.

Johann Gottfried Herder
Image: Anton Graff · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Landgraviate of Hesse-DarmstadtDuchy of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Johann Gottfried Herder. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/johann-gottfried-herder
MLA
“Johann Gottfried Herder.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/johann-gottfried-herder. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Johann Gottfried Herder.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/johann-gottfried-herder.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Johann Gottfried Herder’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/johann-gottfried-herder (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻