Weimar is known for its rich historical and cultural heritage. In the 18th century, it became the center of the German cultural renaissance, thanks to writers Goethe and Schiller. Today, they’re even more influential than they were back then. There’s Goethe’s house, street, square, summer house, museum, his wife, children, lovers, and illegitimate children. Naturally, there’s also a shared monument with Schiller in the main square. Goethe’s importance contributed to him being portrayed as the same height as Schiller, although he was shorter.
In the 20th century, Weimar was the birthplace of the Weimar Republic, Germany’s first democratic state, and home to the famous Bauhaus school led by Walter Gropius, which shaped modern architecture and design. Of course, there’s also a Bauhaus museum. Despite the turbulent period between and during the world wars, Weimar retained its cultural significance. Today, it hosts numerous events and is part of UNESCO’s World Heritage. Although in 1945 most citizens pretended not to know what was happening on the nearby hill, today they remember the events of the Nazi era in various ways. That hill, once a favorite picnic spot, is now simply known as Buchenwald.
But I won’t darken this post with those details. More on that in a future post.
