"What am I myself? What did I do? I collected and used everything that came to my mind, my ears, my senses. Thousands of individuals have contributed to my works, they all came and brought me their thoughts, their skills, their experiences; so I often reap what others have sown. My life's work is that of a collective being, and this work bears the name of Goethe." (Goethe 1832, a few weeks before his death)