Stairs with wrought-iron banisters

The extravagant staircase, which takes up nearly a third of the building, is designed to proclaim the status of the head of the household. The first four sandstone steps are original. The wrought-iron banisters on the first floor bear the initials of Goethe's parents: JCG and CEG.

The Baroque Frankfurt-style cupboards were used to store the family linen; the Goethe household owned so much linen that “wash days” were only scheduled three times a year. The copper engravings of Roman motifs are souvenirs from the trip Goethe’s father took to Italy in 1740. They incited the son’s longing for that country.