Market Square
(Pass by)
Let’s begin this tour by the Market Square, a popular meeting place in Weimar. Many famous people were at home here. The renaissance painter Lucas Cranach lived in one of the buildings close by, in the square. But it is mainly the classicists that attract the visitors that come here. Weimar is a city of pedestrians and all sites are close together. The architecture reflects the city's feudal days. At Theaterplatz we will meet the Goethe and Schiller memorial, two of the greatest classicists of Germany. Weimar classicism can be traced in the dowager duchess Anna Amalia who hosted many lustrous gatherings that also included Goethe and Schiller. The two writers now are one of the main attractions of the square, standing tall as a memorial in front of the National Theater. On the opposite side there is the House of the Weimar Republic. It is the place where the National Assembly gathered in 1919 to discuss the future of Post World War I Germany. The Republic of Weimar was born here, after Germany’s defeat and the fall of the German Empire. It was Germany’s first attempt to build a Democracy, but it was eventually destroyed by the arrival of the Nazi party to power in 1933. The story of the Weimar Republic is told inside the renovated building which is also a Forum for Democracy. Follow your feet to the Saint Peter and Paul Church, the most important church in Weimar. It was built upon the foundations of a 13th century church and was first built in the 16th century in gothic style. It was converted to Lutheran belief in the 16th century and Martin Luther himself preached there. Famous Theologian Johan Gottfried Herder is buried in the church, as he was its superintendent, as is the Duchess Anna Amalia. In front of the church you can see the Herder Memorial, dedicated to the clergyman in 1850. Then we will pass the Weimar Palace, once the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Weimar and Eisenach. First built as a medieval castle and mentioned first in the 10th century, it was remodeled after being several times destroyed by fire and to allow it to become a residential palace. It took about 500 years to develop it to its present state. Then we will get to the Democracy Square, which used to be called the Duke's Square. Very fitting since it's surrounded by royal buildings: in this area you have the so-called red and yellow palaces or the house where Duke Charles Augustus lived. Next to it is Anna Amalia’s Library, a small palace that housed a lovely library for centuries already. The dowager duchess Anna Amalia, whose name it bears, supported the library decisively and many treasures are to be found here. Amongst these, a document that offers a first indication of Wolfgang von Goethe's presence in the city. He ran a library for decades. Right next to Anna Amalia's Library, the Park an der Ilm was created in the 18th century. It's renowned for its valuable trees and architectural gems, like the ruins of the Tempelherrenhaus. Goethe also played a part in designing the park. He spent his first years in Weimar in a very nice house to the park, a house that he received as a gift from Charles Augustus. Our next stop is at Goethe’s House on Frauenplan, which became his new and more impressive residence after 1782. Here many of the rooms look exactly as they looked in the last years of the poet's life. The study in which he wrote works like Faust is unchanged. Goethe stayed in Weimar until his death in 1832. Another place of interest is the Liszt Haus, where the composer Franz Liszt lived many summers, as a gift from the local Duke. In his house from Weimar, the composer taught young pianists from all over Europe for free. The next stop is Friedrich Schiller’s House. An assembly brought Schiller and Goethe together. When the two of them met, impressed by Schiller, Goethe invited him to Weimar. From that moment, an intense creative association existed between them. Finally we will take you back to the Market Square, for your convenience.