Perhaps the attendance of the
performance of the Aalen Chamber Choir has inspired me to follow up on more cultural ventures. Also, I am still pursuing my goal of staying over night in each of the capitals of the federal states of Germany. Therefore, it made sense (to me, that is ...) to spend a night in Erfurt, the capital of the state of Thuringia, and visit the nearby town of Weimar, which is a symbol of the classical history of Germany. Fortunately, at work I have a native Thuringian colleague, who is currently commuting home about every weekend. Thus I had a ride for the first half of the journey, which all in all was actually just a weekend getaway: going to Erfurt on Friday night, visiting Weimar all Saturday long, returning to Oberkochen on Sunday.
To be fair, it appears that Erfurt is a worthy destination in its own right. Historical events more recent than the classical epoch took place near the train station, when Willy Brandt, the then-chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (i.e., western Germany), was paying an official visit to the German Democratic Republic (i.e., eastern Germany), and was staying in a hotel in Erfurt. Soon enough, a crowd of locals was gathering in front of the building, chanting "Willy Brandt ans Fenster", or "Willy Brandt to the window". It is reported that Mr. Brandt did show himself to the crowd on the window for a short time. Commemorating the event, the words of the parole were installed on the roof of the now defunct hotel as illuminated letters.
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| former hotel, just across the square at the main station |
You could say that this alone would have justified my plan of staying in Erfurt for a night. But it was Weimar I had actually come for, and so on Saturday I took the 15 min train ride and strolled around town for most of the day.
In order to understand the significance of Weimar for German history, it is pivotal to know that it was the home (of choice) of the two greatest poets Germany has ever brought forth:
Johann Wolfgang Goethe and
Friedrich Schiller. Also, it later gave the name to the first republic that bore the name of Germany: the
Weimar Republic. The latter was established after Germany was defeated in World War I, and the German Emperor had been forced to abdicate; yet unfortunately it did not provide a haven of stability, but was always on the brink of civil war between the right-wing nationalists / monarchists and the left-wing communists / socialists. A number of political murders was committed, and several times a coup was attempted; and eventually the National Socialists (who were socialists by name only and actually sworn enemies of the latter) rose to power and introduced the darkest chapter in the history of this country. - Yet the city of Weimar is not to blame for this, as it was only a provisional home for the government at the time, which shortly after returned to the "natural" capital of Berlin.
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| communist Ernst Thälmann, murdered in a National Socialist concentration camp |
While Weimar did lend its name to the first, ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to establish a democracy on German soil, its association with contributions to culture is free of stains. Besides the residency of two literary giants within its limits, Weimar is also the geographical source of the architectural style of
Bauhaus. It is also the home of the famous
Duchess Anna Amalia Library, where countless books, maps, musical pieces and other documents are stored in the original.
After my arrival I decided to just walk around and obtain as many photos as possible, as I knew beforehand that I couldn't possibly do all the interesting things in a single day. It turned out that the most intering sights (the residences of Goethe and Schiller, and the Bauhaus university) were all located on the far side of town, so I was required to walk a bit before finally getting there. On my way I came across a few sites I found worthwile to photograph, but in particular I was forced to enter a shopping mall (yeah, imagine that - shopping while on a cultural journey; that's quite like hopping over to the Mall of America right after having been to the US Library of Congress), because rain was splashing down. Since I was also in a general need of a new pair of shoes, I decided to buy a new outfit for my feet. Considering the noticeable increase in comfort, it was a wise decision ... See below for a photo of my new gear.
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| These boots were made for walking ... and walk all across Weimar I did. |
Such equipped with footwear, I walked on towards the more central area, where I discovered two old churches. Even further I saw signs leading to the castle, which itself is standing next to the city park. This park is crossed by the river Ilm, which renders the whole scenery very picturesque! The local ducks were a special occasion to test my new tele lens on wildlife (or so).
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| church St. Jacob (surrounded by a cemetary where several famous artists and also Goethe's wife are buried) |
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| city church St. Peter and Paul ("Herder church") |
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| city palace |
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| river Ilm crossing Weimar city park |
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| a duck living on the Ilm |
The famous Duchess Anna Amalia Library is located in the Ilm park, too. From there one takes a few steps toward the Bauhaus university, and then starts coming back toward the train station in order to pass through the pedestrian zone in the city center. There you find the former homes of Schiller and Goethe, just a few hundred meters apart.
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| Duchess Anna Amalia Library |
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| Bauhaus university |
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| Schiller house |
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| Goethe house |
From the Goethe house I was walking back to the train station, as I was getting tired. Still, I had the chance of photographing the National Theater (with a statue of Schiller and Goethe in front of it) and the Bauhaus museum, both located at the same square.
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| National Theater, with Schiller and Goethe statues in front |
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| Bauhaus musem |
With rain pouring down I was happy to conclude my tour back at the train station.
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| Weimar train station |
