Vegetarier in Deutschland: Essen und mehr: Location Spotlight: Weimar

Train station of the day!

Welcome to my second location spotlight, this time focusing on the city of Weimar. While I'm not sure that I can provide a decent representation of the city without writing a book or two, I will do my best to highlight some of the best sights to see. Welcome to the city tour!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to take
a wide-angle picture in a small city?

The city of Weimar is about 1115 years old, with settlements in the area dating back another five to seven hundred years earlier. The church shown on the right, St. Peter and Paul's, sits on the same plot as the original, which was built 1240. Much like many churches and other buildings in Germany, it was destroyed a few times by various fires, until it was eventually rebuilt in the stone that you can see and visit today. Two notable dignitaries from the city, philosopher Johann Gottfried Herder and Duchess Anna Amelia, are buried below it.

No, we were not there during open hours.

The "Kasseturm" was once a part of the city of Weimar's exterior fortifications, but has served as knights' and soldiers' housing, the home of city offices, an air raid shelter, and currently functions as a student club for the local university students.

Just a tad smaller, right?

The building shown on the right is the current home of the "Neues Museum," which currently functions as a modern art museum. Prior to and during World War II, it was a large meeting room, capable of holding enormous functions and government meetings. It was unused until the reunification of Germany, when it was renovated to house the museum.

They just kinda kicked the other guy out...

This building was the home of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, at the turn of the 19th century. There is currently a museum in the building (its worth noting that our tour guide pointed out that few people find it anything more than mildly interesting), which is home to many of Goethe's personal effects from his later life.
The backstory on how he came to live here is actually quite amusing though; the local government essentially ordered the previous tenant out of the building to make room for Goethe!

It says "Bauhaus" on it, I mean it!

The Bauhaus Museum is located a few blocks away from the old city center, and contains exhibits for Bauhaus architecture. Bauhaus Architecture basically breaks down to the idea of creating functional, mass produced, but artistic architecture. It grew out of the Bauhaus Art School, founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius. The school left Weimar as a result of WWII, but its influence can still be seen in many places today, and the style is still taught today. The museum is scheduled to move from its current home later this year.

Its across the street from the Bauhaus Museum!

The German National Theater in Weimar dates back about 500 years in various forms, with the current form that you see here being approximately 400 years old. In its time, it has functioned as an opera and drama theater, comedy stage, and music hall, with its best know leaders being Goethe and Friedrich Schiller. It still hosts productions to this day, and is definitely a sight to see if you are around during a show date.
Until next time!

For your Amusement: