Weimar

Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany, located on the Ilm River about 25 kilometers east of Erfurt. It is renowned for its cultural heritage and its role in German literature, music, and politics. The city is closely associated with figures such as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, and it was the cradle of the Bauhaus art movement.

Weimar’s history goes back to the Middle Ages. From the 16th century it was the residence of the dukes of Saxe-Weimar and later the capital of the state of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach. It became a major center of German Classicism in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, with Goethe, Schiller, and other writers influencing European literature. The Bauhaus school was established in Weimar in 1919, introducing a modern design ethos that shaped art, architecture, and education.

In 1919 the National Assembly met in Weimar to draft a constitution for Germany, and the republic that emerged is commonly known as the Weimar Republic, lasting until 1933. UNESCO designates the city’s classical monuments as a World Heritage Site, recognizing its architectural ensembles and historic houses, including Goethe's and Schiller's homes and the Duchess Anna Amalia Library.

Nearby Buchenwald concentration camp, established in 1937, is memorialized to commemorate its victims. Today, with about 65,000 residents, Weimar remains a center of culture and learning, hosting the Bauhaus University Weimar and the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, and drawing visitors to its historic sites and museums.