What to See in Weimar, Germany – Complex History and Cultural Acclaim

Here’s what to see in Weimar, Germany – a city of rich cultural heritage whose legacy was its downfall during and its saving grace after WWII.

Weimar, Germany, is instantly captivating. A picture book of classicism and grandeur seeping from every one of its pastel-hued buildings, quaint open squares and magnificent surrounding green parks, this 1000-year-old city certainly holds true to its significance as an artistic and cultural hotspot of the country. 

Referenced mostly in relation to its artistic residents, who have bestowed upon it an array of cultural glory, Weimar is known as the home of literary dramatists and poets Goethe and Schiller, composers such as Bach and Liszt, and the founders of the Bauhaus art and architecture movement of progressive design, Van de Velde and Gropius – names immortalised by statues, restored houses, and museums.

Weimar History – War and Politics

Such cultural acclaim was both Weimar’s downfall, as well as its saving grace after its entanglement in war and politics.

It was in Weimar that Germany’s first democratic constitution was drafted after the First World War – the period between 1918 and 1933 referred to as the Weimar Republic. A favourite of Adolf Hitler because of its large cultural heritage and atmosphere, it later became an early centre of Nazism and a place idolized in Nazi propaganda and caught up in its devastation – the Buchenwald Concentration camp being minutes away from the city.

Then came heavy damage to historical buildings during bombing raids in 1945, before becoming the capital of the Thuringia state by the East German government in 1948. Its cultural persona was lost; it became nothing more than a well-positioned East German city and the site of one of the Soviet army’s main headquarters.

Importance of Weimar Heritage

However, Weimar’s long-established heritage sealed its future rebuild and saved it from the full destruction that could have wiped its heritage off the map for good.

Not only was more money invested in the city’s upkeep during the Soviet-occupied years (it remained in better condition than most of its East German neighbours), but after German Reunification in 1990, Weimar was lucky enough to receive significant funding to restore it to its former brilliance.

Today, the preserved city has 16 UNESCO World Heritage sites relating primarily to its classical and more contemporary (Bauhaus) architecture. Luckily, only one Soviet apartment block remains. Weimar is, quite simply, a picture-perfect city.

 

Things to Know to Visit Weimar

• Weimar is a short 15-minute journey from Erfurt, the capital of the green state of Thuringia, an easily accessible and budget day trip. A single ticket costs approximately €5.
• Check out the official Weimar Tourism website for further inspiration and to plan your time in the city (including plenty of ideas should you wish to stay for longer).

Places to Visit in Former East Germany

Weimar was the last stop on my ‘Fall of the Wall’ trip to former East German towns and cities, which examined modern Germany and how it’s changed since reunification. Why not combine your trip to Weimar with one of these destinations and see how the towns and cities are today?

• Trip to Potsdam – The reinvented city after Cold War closure.
• Things to Do in Erfurt – Stunning restoration after Socialist rule.
• What to Do in Leipzig – Urban reinvention in the stylish city.
• What to do in Dresden – The trendy, historical city.

This post is in conjunction. with Germany Tourism. All opinions remain my own.