World Heritage Photos

Classical Weimar – In the Footsteps of Writers and Thinkers

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the city of Weimar witnessed a remarkable cultural flowering. It was during the lifetime of Duchess Anna Amalia von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach (1739–1809) that the Classical Weimar Period began. Weimar attracted many poets, philosophers and writers, such as Goethe, Schiller and Herder. The Goethe and Schiller Archive in Weimar houses the literary estate of Goethe, which was inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

Weimar also attracted composers such as Franz Liszt. The artistic quality of public and private buildings and parks in and around Weimar testifies to the cultural flowering of the Classical Weimar Period. Later, Weimar became a centre for the development of new movements in the fine arts and architecture.

Besides the World Heritage Site Classical Weimar, there is another interesting World Heritage Site in Weimar: the Bauhaus and its Sites in Weimar, Dessau and Bernau. Weimar is situated in the eastern part of Germany, about 83 kilometres from another World Heritage Site in Eisenach: Wartburg Castle. Classical Weimar became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

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   Classical Weimar: Belvedere Palace is located in Belvedere Palace Park just outside Weimar. The Baroque palace was the widow's residence of Maria Pavlovna, who died here in 1859. Belvedere Palace and its orangery are regarded as the most important Baroque buildings in Weimar. The palace originally served as a hunting lodge; it is surrounded by stables and gardens. Today, the palace is a museum and part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site: Classical Weimar.

2. 

   Classical Weimar: The horse carriage of the poet and novelist Goethe in the Goethe House at the Frauenplan. He used this carriage only for short trips in and around the city of Weimar. He lived in this town house from 1782 to 1789, and again from 1792 until his death in 1832. Goethe also owned a garden house in the Park an der Ilm in Weimar. Classical Weimar was granted status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998.

3. 

   Classical Weimar: The Schiller House. The German classical playwright Friedrich Schiller lived in this house from 1802 until his death in 1805. One of the most interesting rooms is Schiller's study; here he wrote his last play 'William Tell'. Most of the furniture is authentic. Schiller died at the age of 45. The Schiller family lived in this house until the death of his wife, Charlotte, in 1826. The Schiller House was damaged during the Second World War; it was extensively restored from 1985 to 1988.

4. 

   Classical Weimar: The Wittums Palace was built from 1767 to 1769. The Baroque palace was the widow's residence of Duchess Anna Amalia von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach; she lived in this town house until her death in 1807. The palace is an example of the aristocratic living style in Weimar at the end of the 18th century. The Green Salon (or Green Parlour) is the most authentic room. Just like the German National Theatre in Weimar, the Wittums Palace stand on the Theaterplatz.

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   Classical Weimar: The Goethe and Schiller Monument in front of the Deutsches Nationaltheater (German National Theatre). Goethe and Schiller lived in Weimar and were the most influential and seminal figures of the Classicism literary movement. The monument escaped damage from Allied bombing raids in 1945, but the theatre was completely destroyed; it was reconstructed and reopened in 1948 with the performance of Goethe's most famous work, 'Faust'.

6. 

   Classical Weimar: The Prince's House and Weimar's oldest Ginkgo biloba tree, probably planted in 1813. The Ginkgo was the favourite tree of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe; he was intrigued by this tree, particularly by its unique fan-shaped leaves. Deeply inspired by this tree, he wrote the poem 'Ginkgo biloba'. Goethe is widely considered the most important German literary figure of the modern era. Classical Weimar was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.

7. 

   Classical Weimar: Duchess Anna Amalia von Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach had this 16th-century Green Palace rebuilt to house a library. The library is one of the first ducal libraries in Germany to be made accessible to the public. The Duchess Anna Amalia Library houses over one million volumes from the 9th to the 21st centuries. A part of the collection was destroyed or damaged by fire in 2004, but the majority of the collection was saved, including the Luther Bible (1534).

8. 

   Classical Weimar: The House of Charlotte von Stein. Charlotte shared a close friendship with the poet, novelist and playwright Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. His life and early work were strongly influenced by her. She was also a close friend of the philosopher, poet and playwright Friedrich Schiller. These two distinguished German writers lived in Weimar at the turn of the 19th century and shared a remarkable friendship. They are closely linked to the history of Weimar.

9. 

   Classical Weimar: The Town Palace and its tower. This Town Palace (Stadtschloss) is the former residence of the Dukes of Weimar. The composer J.S. Bach was the organist and concertmaster at the palace. The Dukes supported Martin Luther, who visited Weimar several times. The palace now houses a museum; it contains the Cranach Gallery, art by the renowned Old Dutch masters, and four writers' rooms, dedicated to Goethe, Schiller, Herder and Wieland.

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    Classical Weimar: The Sternbrücke (Schlossbrücke) and the Ducal Town Palace viewed from the Park an der Ilm. The Sternbrücke (Star Bridge) is the oldest bridge in Weimar. This stone arch bridge was built over the River Ilm in the 17th century. This imposing palace is situated directly on the river banks. It was damaged by a fire in 1774; the restoration took many years. The Park an der Ilm stretches along the water and is part of the Classical Weimar World Heritage Site.

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    Classical Weimar: Goethe's Garden House in the Park an der Ilm. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe lived in this garden house until 1782; afterwards he only returned here to work and rest. Goethe also owned a house at the Frauenplan in Weimar. Goethe's Garden House was already opened as a museum in 1886; it is situated near the Haus am Horn, the first practical statement of the Bauhaus in Weimar, another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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    Classical Weimar: One of the follies in the Park an der Ilm: a romantic ruin. The park was created in the 18th century under the influence of Goethe. This English landscape park is located on the banks of the River Ilm. The park is decorated with follies, statues, bridges, and is planted with valuable trees. The most renowned buildings in this celebrated park are Goethe's Garden House and the Roman House, inspired by the Italian villas surrounding Rome. 

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    Classical Weimar: The 18th-century Liszt House is nowadays a museum; the study of the famous Hungarian composer is preserved. Franz Liszt lived in Weimar from 1869 until his death in 1886; he also spent some months every year in Rome and Budapest. The composer J.S. Bach lived in Weimar from 1708 until 1717. The house where Bach lived has disappeared; the location of the house was on the Market Square in Weimar. The site is indicated with a commemorative tablet.

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    Classical Weimar: The Russian Orthodox chapel and the Ducal Vault (on the left-hand side). The Russian Orthodox chapel is a mausoleum, connected via an underground passage to the Ducal Vault (the Fürstengruft of Weimar). This vault is the burial chapel of the ducal family of Sachsen-Weimar-Eisenach. It is also the final resting place of Goethe. The Ducal Vault of Weimar houses the coffin of Schiller as well, but this coffin is empty.

15. 

    Classical Weimar: The Ducal Vault is the final resting place of Goethe. This vault was built in the Historic Cemetery of Weimar between 1823 and 1828. It also houses the coffin of Schiller. The coffin of Schiller is now empty. DNA testing of the remains in the coffin proved they were not Schiller's own. The mortal remains of the philosopher, playwright and poet Friedrich Schiller are probably buried in a nameless grave somewhere in the Jacobs Cemetery in Weimar. 

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    Classical Weimar: The Russian Orthodox chapel stands in the Historic Cemetery of Weimar. This chapel was built on Russian earth between 1860 and 1862. The Russian Tsar's daughter, Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna, found her final resting place in the burial vault. The onion dome is a typical feature of Russian church architecture; the onion shape is similar to a candle flame and symbolises the light of faith reaching up to heaven.