Auerbachs Keller is the most famous and second oldest pub in Leipzig. It was already a popular wine bar in the 16th century. Auerbachs Keller owes its worldwide fame primarily to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe through the scene of the same name in his Faust.
The legend of the barrel ride from 1525 developed based on the historical Faust, the magician and astrologer Johann Georg Faust:
Doctor Faustus rode out of Auerbachs Keller at this time.
Goethe had already known the Faust legend from his childhood through the puppet show of Dr. Faust, which was performed at fairs. During his studies in Leipzig from 1765 to 1768, he often stayed in his student pub Auerbachs Keller. Here he saw the two wooden pictures created around 1625. In one, Dr. Faustus takes part in the students' drinking party, in the other he rides out the door on a wine barrel. The images inspired him to create the scene Auerbach's Cellar in his later Faust. Mephisto shows off his magic and performs the wine miracle. He drills four holes in the table and plugs them with wax. When the stoppers are pulled out, each student's favorite wine sprouts out: