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Description [EN]
The present form of the Weimar City Castle, the residence of the Dukes of Saxony-Weimar and Eisenach, has developed over more than five hundred years of construction. Located on the banks of the Ilm, the complex originated from a medieval moated castle and was first mentioned in records at the end of the 10th century. Following a fire in 1424 and from the mid-16th century, when Weimar became the permanent residence of the dukes, the complex underwent extensive transformations. The castle burned again in 1618. Reconstruction began in 1619 based on designs by the Italian master builder Giovanni Bonalino, and the castle church was completed by 1630, where Johann Sebastian Bach worked from 1708 to 1717. Under the direction of Johann Moritz Richter the Elder, after the end of the Thirty Years´ War, the planned four-wing complex was redesigned into a baroque three-wing complex open to the south. The three-wing building burned down again in 1774, leaving only the surrounding walls. For the reconstruction, which began in 1789, Duke Carl August appointed a castle building commission under the direction of Johann Wolfgang Goethe. The reconstruction took place until 1803 with Goethe´s significant involvement. The architects Johann August Arens, Nicolaus Friedrich Thouret, and Heinrich Gentz successively created a new residence using the surviving surrounding walls of the east and north wings. The classical interior design from this period is exemplified by the staircase and the ballroom. The Berlin sculptor Christian Friedrich Tieck was commissioned for the sculptural works. In 1816, Clemens Wenzeslaus Coudray began planning the west wing, which was completed in 1847 with the inauguration of the castle chapel. In addition to the private rooms of the princely family, the west wing houses the poet rooms established by Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna between 1835 and 1847. These are memorial rooms in honor of Christoph Martin Wieland, Johann Gottfried Herder, Friedrich Schiller, and Johann Wolfgang Goethe. The construction of the south wing from 1912 to 1914 under Grand Duke Wilhelm Ernst enclosed the courtyard open to the park. Since 1923, the city castle has been used as a museum and also serves as the administrative headquarters of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. Currently, the castle is being renovated and is gradually being made accessible to visitors again. Starting from Easter 2020, the poet rooms can already be visited during guided tours. By the planned completion before 2030, there will not only be a completely newly conceptualized exhibition incorporating previously inaccessible spaces. As a new vibrant center of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, the castle is also developing into a center for visitors, debates, and mediation. Exciting stories that unfolded both in front of and "behind" the scenes in the castle will be as much a part of the experience after reopening as discussions on current issues.
Services
Cafe/Restaurant
In der Nähe befindet sich die Cafeteria im Studienzentrum und es schließt sich die Innenstadt mit verschiedenen Gastronomien an
Museumsshop
https://www.museumshop-weimar.de
Guided tours and group offers
Sa 11.30 Uhr, 13 Uhr Tour durch die Dichterzimmer & Sa 12 Uhr Tour durch die wiedergewonnene Schlosskapelle (Sommer)
Accessibility
Access with ramp
No
Guidance system for visually impaired people, Tactile / acoustic map
No
Access stairless
Yes
Access with ramp
No
Elevator with tactile font / announcement
No
Disabled toilet
Yes
Labeling in pictograms
Yes
Tactile flooring system
No
Barrier-free Audioguides
Yes