City contours Weimar
“A Marvel in Thuringia's Heartbeat.”

Nestled in the heart of the German state of Thuringia, Weimar is a tiny city that has influenced the entire country politically, artistically, and culturally.

By Nimish Sawant

The birthplace of Germany’s first experiment of democratic rule, the Weimar Republic, Weimar has also been home to literary greats such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Friedrich Schiller, and many more cultural heavyweights of the 18th-century German Enlightenment. The Weimar Republic only lasted from 1918 to 1933 till the Nazis took over Germany. During this time, Germany also went through hyperinflation that sped the rise of totalitarian rule. History nerds can get a complete lowdown on this chapter of the city in the Haus der Weimarer Republik. For everyone else, here are a few things worth checking out.

GOETHE EVERYWHERE

Goethe, famous as a poet, artist, and playwright, also served as a mining minister and had one of Europe's most extensive collections of minerals. Little known is that he was a botanist who wrote the ‘Metamorphosis of Plants.’ All this and more can be discovered at the Goethe National Museum, which also retains some original furniture, showcasing his legacy in the city. Goethe’s association with Weimar, where he arrived in 1775 and lived for the rest of his life, is so strong that one can’t dissociate the two. Weimar is where he wrote the magnum opus, Faust. Weimar would also be the playground for another German literary icon, Friedrich von Schiller. Goethe’s friendship and professional collaboration with Schiller made the Weimar Theatre renowned worldwide. This friendship has been immortalized by Ernst Rietschel's bronze standing statue of the two geniuses that’s easily the most famous landmark, selfie point, hang out area for students on a class picnic in all of Weimar.

THE HOUSE OF BAUHAUS

One of the most important artistic movements that have emerged from Weimar is the Bauhaus. Conceptualized by architect Walter Gropius in 1919, the Bauhaus movement focused on functionality over form, minimalist geometric shapes, and embracing modern technology and materials. Given the timing when it came about, immediately after the First World War, there was a stress on making design more practical for the masses and economical use of materials. Even though the movement was shortlived due to the emergence of the Nazis, the Bauhaus influence is seen in everything from everyday furniture, typography, and artworks to even Apple’s minimalist gadgets (the Bauhaus school inspired its co-founder Steve Jobs). After exploring Bauhaus, one can take a breather in the Weimar Market Square, which isn’t too far.

WEIMAR MARKET SQUARE

The Weimar Market Square is the hub of the old town, where one can see examples of Weimar Classicism. Designed so that the neo-Gothic Rathaus gets a place of prominence, there are enough architectural examples around the square, such as the Renaissance-style Cranach House and Stadthaus. Don’t forget to try the local speciality from stalls and kiosks - Thuringer Rostbratwurst, a grilled sausage placed inside a rather tiny bun.

HIKING TRAILS IN WEIMAR

Weimar is a hiker’s paradise, with the Thuringer-Drei-Türme-Weg being the most popular hiking trail down south. This 26-km loop takes you through thick forest paths, short stretches of asphalt roads and a few small villages along this route. Some parts of this route also coincide with Goethe’s Walking Trail, a route the poet and playwright used to visit his fiancé, Charlotte von Stein.

REMEMBERING A DARK CHAPTER

Located on the southern slopes of Ettersberg Mountain, the Buchenwald Memorial offers a fascinating panorama of the Weimar landscape untouched by modern-day developments. Also called the National Monument of the GDR, the Memorial is a massive space commemorating the atrocities of the Buchenwald concentration camp - one of the darkest chapters in Weimar’s history. This was a site where individuals, including Jews, communists, Poles, Slavs, mentally ill people, political prisoners, and Sinti-Roma - were labelled as prisoners by the Nazi regime, incarcerated and eventually murdered. Part of an 11-km long rail track used to transport victims has still been retained closer to the campsite. An art project memorializes children who were victims of the Nazi atrocities by having stones inscribed with their names placed alongside a stretch of the erstwhile rail track.

The Buchenwald Memorial is the kind of monument that prompts one to reflect. The seven bas-reliefs tell the story of the seven years of the concentration camp, the Avenue of Nations remembers nations from where the victims hailed, the Ring Graves are massive circular grave pits where the Nazis had buried thousands of victims. Finally, from the last ring grave is a stair that leads one up to the Figural Group bronze sculpture that symbolizes the victims putting up a resistance and eventually getting liberated from Nazi rule. Standing at the top of the hill beside the bronze sculpture lets you take in the panoramic views showcasing the rolling meadows and hills in the distance.

A GREEN RESPITE

The 48-hectare Park an der Ilm offers respite from the city bustle. Located on the edge of Weimar’s Old Town, it houses Goethe's first residence when he arrived in Weimar, now a museum called Goethe’s Gartenhaus. Goethe and Duke Karl August took the lead in designing the Park. In the vicinity are also Liszt Haus - the summer house of classical composer Franz Liszt, Stone Bridge, Tempelherrenhaus, Romisches Haus, and the Anna Amalia Bibliothek (library). Walking along the park, with a glimpse of the Gartenhaus, might just spark your creative side!