Why is Weimar one of the most interesting and attractive cities in Germany? The fact is that here, on every corner, culture and enlightenment is blowing. Once upon a time, German poets Goethe and Schiller lived in Weimar. Weimar was the cultural center of the GDR. Here was the notorious concentration camp - Buchenwald.
A bit of history
The city of Weimar in Germany is territorially subordinate to the federal district of Thuringia. Its population is now more than 64 thousand people. For the first time in chronicles, the town was mentioned in the 10th century. Until the beginning of the 14th century, a county called Weimar-Orlamunde was located on the territory of modern Weimar. In the XVIII-XIX centuries, the city received the status of the cultural center of all of Germany. At that time, the outstanding German poets Goethe and Schiller lived in Weimar.
Dark times have come for this city after the Nazis came to power. In the vicinity of Weimar in Germany, the Buchenwald concentration camp was built. Of the 250 thousand of his prisoners, 50 thousand were destroyed. The first barracks of the Buchenwald concentration camp were built by the end of 1937. Already then the camp on Mount Ettersberg became a haven for more than 2.5 thousand prisoners. After the “Kristallnacht” on November 9, when the Jewish pogrom took place, the number of prisoners was doubled.
City architecture
The center of Weimar has remained unchanged since the 16th century. The Municipality, Hotel Elefant, Town Hall is still located here. Many people call this city a real open-air museum for a reason. In the 18th century, the Duke Karl August introduced a ban on the construction of any production facilities in Weimar. Despite the small population of Weimar, it does not look like most of the German provincial towns. Its small two-story houses can not be called village. Weimar streets are wide and covered with paving stones; there are many parks and boulevards in the city. Weimar cannot be described either as a medieval or as a modern city - it always captivates guests with its originality.
Cultural Center of Europe
Since 1949, Weimar was part of the GDR. Now Weimar in Germany is fully included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. This small town was of great importance for world culture. After all, the names of such prominent personalities as Schiller, Goethe, Strauss, Bach, Liszt, Wagner and Nietzsche are associated with Weimar. At the time of the Duchess of Amalia, who loved to accept the intellectual elite of that time in her house, Weimar practically became the cultural capital of all of Europe. Thanks to Goethe, a theater was founded in Weimar. In 1848, Franz Liszt became its director. 1919 was the year of the proclamation of the Weimar Republic. It was in the Goethe Theater that the meeting of the then parliament was held and the Weimar Constitution was adopted.
Weimar Castle
Weimar Castle is another famous attraction. It is located in the eastern part of the town. The three-story building with a colonnade is made in the neoclassical style. Its interior features a large staircase, the famous Goethe Gallery, Falcon Gallery, as well as the Main Hall. The castle houses a collection of the Weimar art collection. It includes works of art from German culture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as well as Italian, Danish and Flemish paintings. In addition to the main gallery, here you can see a collection of graphics, consisting of 150 thousand different sketches.
Goethe - Weimar's most famous resident
What else is the town of Weimar in Germany famous for? First of all, by the fact that once lived here one of the greatest German poets - Goethe. His house has now become a museum. This is the most famous architectural structure in all of Weimar. Germany has always been proud of its literary figures and philosophers. Goethe's house was built in the old Baroque style. Karl Augustus, the famous German duke, presented him to the poet. It was here that the poet lived for almost 50 years and died at a respectful age.
Weimar - the city of Schiller
Schiller is another great poet who lived in Weimar. Germany always pays special attention to cultural life, so the situation in Schiller’s house is even partially preserved: some clothes, dishes. At any time of the day near the house you can see tourists. They crowd to quickly visit the house of the famous poet. The house-museum is located on a street with almost the same name - Schillerstrasse. It ends with Theater Square, on which is a monument to two great German poets.
Weimar porcelain
Weimar tableware brought particular popularity to Germany. In 1790, Weimar received royal permission to manufacture porcelain. Since then, it has been producing the highest class cookware and porcelain. The coat of arms of the Dukes of Thuringia is considered a quality mark of Weimar ware throughout the world. A separate direction in the Weimar company is Passion porcelain, which embodies German artistic traditions. The products of this line were released in green, platinum and cobalt colors.