"A Capital of Culture" a Weimar Travel Page by antistar

Weimar was a real surprise to me, as it exceeded all my expectations. I knew it was an historic city, but I wasn't prepared for how much beauty, culture and history it could squeeze into such a small city. With a population of just over 60,000 people, and located in the some of Germany's remotest and least visited countryside, it was home to a number of Europe's leading artistic lights, a world famous art movement, the birthplace of Germany's ill-fated Weimar republic, a host of stunning buildings, and some expansive and beuatiful parkland. There was rarely a moment that I could put my camera away, for every corner turned produced a new sight to be captured.

If measured on a per capita basis Weimar's cultural heritage could well be unmatched in the world. It has been home to some of Germany's greatest writers, including Schiller, Herder, Wieldand, and Goethe. Schiller and Goethe are particularly celebrated in Germany, and you will find their names on buildings, streets and squares all over the country. Goethe is considered to be Germany's Shakespeare. The town also became home to composers such as Listz, Bach and Straus, as well as the local uber-thinker, Nietzsche. In addition the town saw the birth of the world famous Bauhaus movement, a distinctive turn of the century style of austere architecture and design work.

The historical significance of the city is also not to be underestimated. Anyone who has studied World War 2 in any detail will have heard of the ill-fated Weimar Republic. After World War 1 the city gave birth to the first German democracy, founded in the city of Weimar because the riots in Berlin made the city too dangerous. This fledgling state was brought to an end 15 years later, when the burning of the Reichstag secured the new Nazi regime's total dominance of the country.

This event marked a turning point in Weimar's fortunes. Its next markers in history saw it become the birthplace of the Hitler youth movement, the home of the notorious Buchenwald concentration camp, before falling under the dark cloud of the iron curtain. It's recovered from these events remarkably well, however, and the grime of the GDR has been lifted along with the spirits of the local population. The tourists, mostly German, are returning to the city in large numbers and it looks set to become one of the major draws now that it lies on one of the super-fast ICE lines running between Frankfurt and Dresden.

Easily reached, and with lots of good accommodation options, Weimar would make a perfect base for visiting the many historic towns and cities in this often overlooked region of Germany.