Goethe's Divan - Model for a Multicultural Understanding

In the face of strong migration flows and multiculturalism on the one side and Islamic terrorism and neo-fascist populism on the other, a mutual understanding between immigrants and German citizens, regardless of their cultural background is necessary. Who would serve this purpose better than Goethe, the pride and joy of German literature, and his later work the West-East Divan, an archetype of religious tolerance and open-mindedness? This paper deals with the positive and critical representation of Islam in the Divan, with the relationship of Islam and Christianity and the political exploitation of Goethe and his importance for the multicultural discourse in Germany. It becomes clear that Islamic principles can be positive models for the German society and that they are quite similar to the Christian belief. The common representation of Goethe can be a dangerous instrument in the hands of neo-fascism,but his significance for the German identity cannot be ignored but must be used in a positive way. Reading Goethe can be an important step toward more contemporary German migration literature.