83-765: The Deutsche Nationaltheater und Staatskapelle Weimar ( DNT ), or German National Theater and Weimar State Orchestra, is the most significant arts organization in Weimar . The institution unites the Deutsches Nationaltheater (German National Theater) with the Staatskapelle Weimar (Weimar State Orchestra). It plays on a total of six stages across the city. All sections of the theater and orchestra periodically give additional guest performances and appear in electronic media. The precursor ensemble of Staatskapelle Weimar dates from 1482, with
166-405: A Ferris wheel . There are several clubs with live music once or twice a week. There is also a student club in the city centre which also features disco and live music events on Friday- and Saturday nights (Kasseturm). There are several smaller theatre and cabaret venues other than the large "DNT" (Deutsches National Theater). There are four cinemas including a 3-D cinema, and a Bowling Alley in
249-568: A UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 (Bauhaus) and 1998 (Classical Weimar). The European Council of Ministers selected the city as European Capital of Culture for 1999. Tourism has become an important economic factor over the decades. Weimar is now a popular residence of people working in Erfurt and Jena , both less than 20 minutes away. In 2004, a fire broke out at the Duchess Anna Amalia Library . The library contains
332-464: A humid continental climate ( Dfb ) or an oceanic climate ( Cfb ) according to the Köppen climate classification system. Summers are warm and sometimes humid with average high temperatures of 23 °C (73 °F) and lows of 12 °C (54 °F). Winters are relatively cold with average high temperatures of 2 °C (36 °F) and lows of −3 °C (27 °F). The city's topography creates
415-595: A 13,000-volume collection including Goethe's masterpiece Faust , as well as the duchess's music collection. An authentic Luther Bible from 1534 was saved from the fire. The library is one of the oldest in Europe, dating back to 1691, and is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Over one million volumes were housed in the library, of which forty to fifty thousand were damaged beyond repair. A number of books were shock-frozen in Leipzig to save them from rotting. The library
498-757: A great fire in 1774. The tower and the Bastille building at its south-western edge are relics of older castles in this place. The Fürstenhaus at Platz der Demokratie was the first parliament building in Weimar, established in the 1770s. Today it is in use by the Weimar School of Music. The Green Castle next to the Fürstenhaus was built in the 1560s in Renaissance style and hosts today the Duchess Anna Amalia Library . The Yellow Castle at Grüner Markt
581-674: A local newspaper. After 1929, the right-wing forces prevailed and Weimar became an early centre of Nazism . Weimar was important to the Nazis for two reasons: first, it was where the hated Weimar Republic was founded, and second, it had been a centre of German high culture in recent centuries. In 1926, the NSDAP held its party convention in Weimar. Adolf Hitler visited Weimar more than forty times prior to 1933. In 1930, Wilhelm Frick became minister for internal affairs and education in Thuringia –
664-416: A microclimate caused through the basin position with sometimes inversion in winter (quite cold nights under −20 °C (−4 °F)). Annual precipitation is only 535 mm (21.1 in) with moderate rainfall throughout the year. Light snowfall occurs, mainly from December through February, but snow cover does not usually remain for long. The Weimar ( Erfurt–Weimar Airport ) weather station has recorded
747-430: A migrant background (according to 2011 EU census ). Differing from the national average, the biggest groups of migrants in Weimar are Vietnamese people , Russians and Ukrainians . During recent years, the economic situation of the city improved: the unemployment rate declined from 20% in 2005 to 5.1% in 2019. Due to the official atheism in the former GDR , most of the population is non-religious. 21.1% are members of
830-491: A moderate growth of approximately 0.35% per year, whereas the population in bordering rural regions is shrinking with accelerating tendency. Suburbanization played only a small role in Weimar. It occurred after the reunification for a short time in the 1990s, but most of the suburban areas were situated within the administrative city borders. The birth surplus was +3 in 2012, this is +0.0 per 1,000 inhabitants (Thuringian average: −4.5; national average: −2.4). The net migration rate
913-513: Is Thuringia's largest festival. The festival is held over 3 days and approximately 500 stalls and more than 100 stage performances are put up across the city. Weimar first celebrated the Onion Market in 1653. Stalls typically offer onion plaits, themed arts and crafts and numerous onion-based foods, including onion cakes, onion soups and onion breads. The festival also hosts numerous beer gardens , live music, fairground attractions and
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#1732772894948996-794: Is a Ukrainian conductor. The son of the conductor and composer Ivan Karabyts , Karabits was born in Kyiv (then in the Ukrainian SSR of the Soviet Union ). In his youth, Karabits studied piano, musicology and composition developing an interest in conducting at age 13. His early teachers included Tatiana Kozlova. In Kyiv , he studied at the Lysenko Music School, and later at the National Tchaikovsky Music Academy . In 1995, he began studies at
1079-555: Is approximately 200 m of elevation. To the north, the terrain rises to Ettersberg , the city's backyard mountain, 482 m in height. The range of hills in the south of Weimar rises up to 370 m and is part of the Ilm Saale Plate Muschelkalk formation. The eastern, central and western parts of the municipal territory are in agricultural use, whereas the Ettersberg and some southern areas are wooded. Weimar has
1162-676: Is commonly referred to as the Weimar Republic , as the Republic's constitution was drafted there rather than Berlin . The capital was considered too dangerous for the National Assembly to use as a meeting place because of street rioting during the Spartacist uprising . Reich President Friedrich Ebert favored Weimar because he hoped it would remind the victorious Allies of Weimar Classicism while they were deliberating
1245-687: Is dedicated to the Sacred Heart and was built between 1888 and 1891 in historicist forms imitating Florence Cathedral . Another church is the Russian Orthodox Chapel within the historic cemetery. It was built in 1862 as the funerary chapel of Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna and was one of the first Russian-styled buildings in Germany. Interesting churches in the suburban districts are the Lutheran parish church of Gelmeroda , which
1328-478: Is denoted as the "golden" or the "classical" age because of the high level of cultural activity in Weimar. The city became an important cultural centre of Europe, having been home to literary figures including Goethe , Schiller , Herder , Wieland and Bertuch ; and in music the piano virtuoso Hummel . It has been a site of pilgrimage for the German intelligentsia since Goethe first moved to Weimar in 1775. Goethe
1411-524: Is derived from Old High German wīh- (holy) and -mari (standing water, swamp). The place was the seat of the County of Weimar , first mentioned in 949, which was one of the most powerful jurisdictions in early Middle Ages Thuringia. In 1062 it was united with the County of Orlamünde into the new County of Weimar-Orlamünde, which existed until the Thuringian Counts' War in 1346. It fell to
1494-645: Is the Evangelical St. Peter and Paul on the Herderplatz (known as Die Herderkirche). It was rebuilt in late Gothic style after a fire around 1500. Between 1726 and 1735, the interior underwent a Baroque remodelling by Johann Adolf Richter. Johann Gottfried Herder was the dean of the church between 1766 and 1803. The second old Evangelical church of Weimar is St. James on Rollplatz, rebuilt in 1712 in Baroque style. The Roman Catholic parish church of Weimar
1577-524: The Park an der Ilm in the southeast, whereas the western and northern quarters are more basic and mixed with industrial areas in their outer parts. During the GDR period, two new Plattenbau settlements were developed in the west and the north of the city. After 1990, suburbanization occurred for a short time and the rural districts of Weimar saw significant growth as part of the larger city. The city's main church
1660-648: The Evangelical Church in Central Germany and 6.8% are Catholics (according to 2011 EU census). Two World Heritage Sites converge in Weimar: Weimar has a great variety of museums: The historic city centre of Weimar is situated between the Ilm river in the east, Grabenstraße in the north, Goetheplatz and Theaterplatz in the west and Schillerstraße in the south. Its two central squares are
1743-460: The GDR period, Weststadt and Nordstadt as well as two industrial areas in the north and west. The 11 suburban districts are villages which became incorporated during the 20th century; however, they have mostly stayed rural to date: Over the centuries, Weimar remained a small town of less than 5,000 inhabitants. When it became the capital of Saxe-Weimar in 1572, population growth was stimulated and
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#17327728949481826-511: The Reithaus (1710s) within the Park an der Ilm . Furthermore, there are some impressive ducal country residences around Weimar. They are marked by their beautiful parks and gardens. Schloss Belvedere , south-east of Weimar was built between 1724 and 1732 in Baroque style with an orangery near to a ducal hunting forest. North-east of Weimar, at Ettersburg lies another ducal hunting lodge next to
1909-653: The Soviet occupation zone of Germany , so US troops were soon replaced by Soviet forces. From 1945 to 1950, the Soviet Union used the occupied Buchenwald concentration camp as a NKVD special camp to imprison defeated Nazis and other Germans. The camp slogan remained Jedem das Seine . On 6 January 1950, the Soviets handed over Buchenwald to the East German Ministry of Internal Affairs . In 1948,
1992-727: The Vienna Musikhochschule and earned a diploma in orchestral conducting after five years of study. He also attended the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart , where he was a pupil of Helmuth Rilling and Peter Gülke . He has done scholarly work on the musical archive of the Berliner Singakademie , such as transcribing the 1784 Johannes Passion of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach , which was thought to be lost. Karabits made his first public conducting appearance aged 19. He
2075-601: The Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School , the precursor of today's Bauhaus University , was founded. This was the beginning of academic arts education in Weimar. The institution created its own painting style, the Weimar School of painting with representatives such as Max Liebermann and Arnold Böcklin . The Kunstgewerbeschule Weimar was found by Henry van de Velde with the support of Grand Duke William Ernest in 1902 and represents
2158-555: The Wettins afterwards. The Weimar settlement emerged around the count's wooden castle and two small churches, dedicated to Saint Peter (which later became the main church), and to Saint James , respectively. In 1240, the count founded the dynasty's monastery in Oberweimar, run by Cistercian nuns. Soon after, the counts of Weimar founded the town, which was an independent parish since 1249 and called civitas in 1254. From 1262,
2241-453: The 19th century, composers such as Franz Liszt made Weimar a music centre. Later, artists and architects such as Henry van de Velde , Wassily Kandinsky , Paul Klee , Lyonel Feininger , and Walter Gropius came to the city and founded the Bauhaus movement, the most important German design school of the interwar period . The political history of 20th-century Weimar was volatile: it was
2324-460: The 2016–2017 season, with an initial contract of three years. Karabits concluded his tenure as its GMD in the summer of 2019, following an inability to reach terms on contract negotiations for extending his tenure. In June 2020, the company announced the appointment of Dominik Beykirch as its new chief conductor, effective with the 2020–2021 season. Beykirch had previously served as Zweite Kapellmeister and Erste Koordinierter Kapellmeister with
2407-449: The BSO announced the appointment of Karabits as their 13th Principal Conductor, after a unanimous vote from the orchestra musicians, effective with the 2009–2010 season. The BSO appointment marked Karabits' first chief conductorship. Karabits held the title of Principal Conductor-Designate for the 2008–2009 season, with three concerts. made his first conducting appearance at The Proms with
2490-524: The BSO in August 2009, and formally took up the principal conductor post in October 2009. He was the first Ukrainian conductor to be named principal conductor of a UK orchestra. In August 2011, Karabits and the BSO agreed on a three-year extension of his contract through the 2015–2016 season. In 2015, Karabits signed a rolling contract as principal conductor. Karabits conducted several premieres with
2573-523: The Bauhaus period. However, only one original Bauhaus building was constructed during 1919–1925, the Haus am Horn , now used for exhibitions and events on Bauhaus culture. The Weimar Republic era was marked by a constant conflict between progressive and Völkisch forces, the former represented by Harry Graf Kessler and the latter by Adolf Bartels in Weimar. The Weimarer Zeitung was published in Weimar as
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2656-533: The Bournemouth orchestra, including the UK premiere of Magnus Lindberg 's Absence , 'Unforged' by Carmen Ho (November 2021), Nurymov Symphony No. 2 (19 January 2022), Ali-Zadeh Nizami Cosmology (April 2022), Akimenko 's Cello Concerto (October 2022) and Anna Korsun 's Terricone (January 2023). Karabits concluded his tenure as the orchestra's chief conductor at the close of the 2023-2024 season, and now has
2739-690: The East German government declared Erfurt as Thuringia's new capital, and Weimar lost its influence on German contemporary culture and politics. (The state of Thuringia itself was dissolved in 1952 and replaced by three Bezirke (districts) in a local government reform; Weimar belonged to the Bezirk of Erfurt.) The city was the headquarters of the Soviet Union's 8th Guards Army as part of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany . Due to its fame and importance for tourism, Weimar received more financial subsidies from
2822-459: The Ettersberg mountain and its forest, Schloss Ettersburg . It was established between 1706 and 1711 also in Baroque style. The third summer residence, Schloss Tiefurt , is located in Tiefurt , north-east of Weimar. The small lodge in a wide park in Ilm valley was rebuilt in 1775 in late-Baroque forms. The Onion Market (Weimarer Zwiebelmarkt) is an annual festival held in October in Weimar and it
2905-467: The GDR government and remained in better condition than most East German cities. After German reunification in 1990, Weimar experienced significant economic hardship, but funding restored much that had deteriorated. In 1991, the city hosted the first trilateral meeting between the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland giving its name to the Weimar Triangle format. It was designated as
2988-566: The German government sold them to west German businessmen who closed them to avoid competition to their own enterprises. On the other hand, the federal government started early in the 1990s to subsidize the foundation of new companies, but it took long time before the economic situation got stabilized around 2006. Since this time, unemployment decreased and overall, new jobs develop. Today, there are many small and medium-sized companies in Weimar with electro-technics and engineering in focus. Nevertheless, settlement of new factories isn't much in focus of
3071-573: The Marktplatz in the south (with the town hall) and the Herderplatz in the north (with the main church). Despite its medieval origin, there are only a few medieval buildings, many being destroyed by frequent fires throughout the city's history. Most buildings in this area date back to the 17th and 18th century. Furthermore, Weimar has two old suburbs: in the north, the Jakobsvorstadt around St. James' Church (medieval origin) and another one in
3154-586: The Staatskapelle Weimar he has recorded Strauss and Liszt. With the BSO, Karabits has recorded music of Rodion Shchedrin for the Naxos label, and music of Aram Khachaturian for the Onyx Classics label. He recorded a complete cycle of the seven Prokofiev symphonies with the BSO on Onyx from 2013 to 2015, which included the symphonic fragment of 1902, the original version of the fourth, and
3237-748: The Staatskapelle Weimar. He first conducted a production at the Deutsches Nationaltheater and Staatskapelle Weimar in March 2015. Based on these appearances, in July 2015, the Deutsches Nationaltheater and Staatskapelle Weimar named Karabits their next Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) and chief conductor, effective with the 2016–2017 season, with an initial contract of 3 years. In June 2018, the DNT and Staatskapelle Weimar announced
3320-554: The Weimar Atrium, the local mall. The area around Weimar is relatively fertile and 48% of the municipal surface are used for agricultural production. Most common agricultures are cereals, maize and rapeseed , while famous agricultural products from the Weimar region are potatoes (especially from Heichelheim , 7 km (4.3 mi) to the north) for dishes with Thuringian dumplings ( Knödel from potatoes), onions (from Heldrungen and Oldisleben , 45 km (28 mi) to
3403-605: The camp by the Nazi regime, including 168 Western Allied POWs . The number of deaths in Buchenwald is estimated at 56,545. The Buchenwald concentration camp provided slave labour for local industry, including the Wilhelm-Gustloff-Werk arms factory. The city centre was partially damaged by US Air Force bombing in 1945 with some 1,800 people killed and many historic buildings destroyed. Nevertheless, most of
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3486-676: The citizens used their own seal. The regional influence of the Weimar counts was declining as the influence of the Wettins in Thuringia increased. Hence, the new small town was relatively marginal in a regional context, also due to the fact that it was located far from relevant trade routes, such as the Via Regia . The settlement around Saint James Church developed into a suburb during the 13th century. After becoming part of Wettin territory in 1346, urban development improved. The Wettins fostered Weimar by abolishing socage and granting privileges to
3569-477: The citizens. Now Weimar became equal to other Wettinian cities like Weißensee and grew during the 15th century, with the establishment of a town hall and the current main church. In 1438 Weimar acquired trade privileges for woad, a plant from which blue dye was made. The castle and the walls were finished in the 16th century, making Weimar into a full city. After the Treaty of Leipzig (1485) Weimar became part of
3652-692: The city experienced another period of growth. In 1919, Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus School by a merger of the Weimar Saxon-Grand Ducal Art School with the Kunstgewerbeschule Weimar. The Bauhaus in Weimar lasted from 1919 to 1925, when it moved to Dessau , after the newly elected right-wing Thuringian council put pressure on the school by withdrawing funding and forcing its teachers to quit. Many buildings in Weimar today have influences from
3735-524: The city. The Weimar School of Music was founded in 1872 as Germany's first orchestra school. Richard Strauss worked in Weimar between 1889 and 1894 as second conductor in the acclaimed Staatskapelle Weimar (the court orchestra founded in 1491). Several of his encores for works such as Don Juan and Macbeth were performed by the Staatskapelle Weimar. He also premièred Humperdinck's opera Hänsel and Gretel 1893 in Weimar. Friedrich Nietzsche moved to Weimar in 1897, and died there three years later. In 1860
3818-666: The classical period of Weimar in 18th and 19th centuries) or the Bauhaus complex (containing buildings associated with the Bauhaus art school). Heritage tourism is one of the leading economic sectors of Weimar. Noted institutions in Weimar are the Bauhaus University , the Liszt School of Music , the Duchess Anna Amalia Library , and two leading courts of Thuringia (the Supreme Administrative Court and Constitutional Court). In 1999, Weimar
3901-572: The close of the 2024–2025 season. 50°58′46″N 11°19′29″E / 50.97944°N 11.32472°E / 50.97944; 11.32472 Weimar Weimar is a city in the German state of Thuringia , in Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, 80 km (50 mi) southwest of Leipzig , 170 km (106 mi) north of Nuremberg and 170 km (106 mi) west of Dresden . Together with
3984-415: The company. The company elevated Beykrich's title to music director as of the 2023–2024 season. In October 2023, the company announced the appointment of Ivan Repušić [ de ] as the next chief conductor of the Staatskapelle Weimar, effective with the 2024–2025 season. In August 2024, the company announced that Beykirch is to stand down as music director of the company, per his own request, at
4067-787: The cultural sights and goods. In 1846, Weimar was connected by the Thuringian Railway . In the following decades, the city saw a construction and population boom (like most late-19th century cities in Germany). Nevertheless, Weimar did not become industrialised, and remained a city of clerks, artists and rentiers. During the German Revolution of 1918–19 the last reigning grand duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach , William Ernest, had to abdicate and went in exile to Heinrichau in Silesia. The period in German history from 1919 to 1933
4150-455: The destroyed buildings were restored soon after the war because of their importance in German cultural history. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Weimar in April 1945, and the city surrendered to the US 80th Infantry Division on 12 April 1945. The residents of Weimar were ordered to walk through Buchenwald, to see what had been happening so close to the city, as documented in Billy Wilder 's film Death Mills . The city ended up in
4233-439: The electorate of the Ernestine branch of Wettins with Wittenberg as capital. The Protestant Reformation was introduced in Weimar in 1525; Martin Luther stayed several times in the city. As the Ernestines lost the Schmalkaldic War in 1547, their capital Wittenberg went also to the Albertines, so that they needed a new residence. As the ruler returned from captivity, Weimar became his residence in 1552 and remained as such until
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#17327728949484316-433: The end of World War I and the dismantling of the German Empire , the ensemble was renamed the Weimar Staatskapelle . Ernst Praetorius directed concert and opera programming from 1924 to 1933. Because his wife was Jewish, Praetorius left the post after the National Socialists ascended to power in Germany in 1933. Paul Sixt [ de ] directed activities there during the Nazi regime. After World War II and
4399-454: The end of the Nazi regime, Hermann Abendroth became Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) and chief conductor of the ensemble, serving from 1945 to 1956. Successive GMD's of the ensemble have included Gerhard Pflüger (1957–1973), Lothar Seyfarth (1973–1979), Rolf Reuter (1979–1980), Peter Gülke (1981–1982), Hans-Peter Frank (1988–1996), George Alexander Albrecht (1996–2002), Jac van Steen (2002–2005) and Carl St.Clair (2005–2008). Oleg Caetani
4482-420: The end of the monarchy in 1918. The first Ernestine territorial partition in 1572 was followed by various ones, nevertheless Weimar stayed the capital of different Saxe-Weimar states. The court and its staff brought some wealth to the city, so that it saw a first construction boom in the 16th century. The 17th century brought decline to Weimar, because of changing trade conditions (as in nearby Erfurt ). Besides,
4565-503: The ensemble's Kapellmeister from 1819 to 1837, on the appointment by the Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna . Franz Liszt began his tenure as Kapellmeister in 1842, and championed the music of Richard Wagner , Hector Berlioz , Peter Cornelius . Through this and his teaching activities, Liszt enhanced the prestige of Weimar as a musical hub, notably conducting the world premieres of Wagner's Lohengrin in 1850 and Cornelius's Der Barbier von Bagdad in 1858. After Liszt left in 1858, he
4648-444: The first NSDAP minister in Germany. In 1932, the NSDAP came to power in Thuringia under Fritz Sauckel . In 1933, the first Nazi concentration camps were established around Weimar in Nohra (the first one in Germany) and Bad Sulza . Most prisoners at this time were communists and social democrats. After Kristallnacht in 1938, harassment of Jews became more intense, so that many of them emigrated or were arrested. The Weimar Synagogue
4731-467: The following decades, Weimar expanded in all directions. The biggest building constructed in this period was the Schloss as the residence of the dukes (north and east wing: 1789–1803, west wing 1832–1835, south wing: 1913–1914). Between 1708 and 1717 Johann Sebastian Bach worked as the court's organist in Weimar. The period from the start of the regencies of Anna Amalia (1758–1775) and her son Carl August (1775–1828) through to Goethe's death in 1832
4814-405: The following extreme values: Weimar abuts the district of Weimarer Land with the municipalities Berlstedt , Ettersburg , Kleinobringen , Großobringen and Wohlsborn in the north, Kromsdorf , Umpferstedt and Mellingen in the east, Vollersroda , Buchfart , Hetschburg , Bad Berka and Troistedt in the south and Nohra, Daasdorf am Berge , Hopfgarten and Ottstedt am Berge in
4897-534: The formation of a musical ensemble in service of the Weimar Fürsten (Princes). In 1602, the ensemble attained resident status at the Weimar court, as the Herzoglichen Hofkapelle ( Ducal Court Ensemble ). Notable musicians in the early history of the Staatskapelle Weimar included Johann Hermann Schein (1615–1616) and Johann Sebastian Bach (1705, 1708–1717), both of whom went on to the St. Thomas Church, Leipzig . Bach particularly worked as resident organist and Kapellmeister . Johann Nepomuk Hummel served as
4980-554: The local government, because it concentrates itself on developing tourism and services. The biggest companies with production in Weimar are Bayer (pharmaceutical factory), Coca-Cola (beverages) and Hydrema (dump truck factory). A new big commercial zone was established in the 1990s in the neighbouring municipality of Nohra with focus on logistics and distribution. Kirill Karabits Kirill Karabits OBE ( Ukrainian : Кири́ло Іва́нович Кара́биць , romanized : Kyrylo Ivanovych Karabyts ; born 26 December 1976)
5063-450: The neighbouring cities of Erfurt and Jena, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia, with approximately 500,000 inhabitants. The city itself has a population of 65,000. Weimar is well known because of its cultural heritage and importance in German history. The city was a focal point of the German Enlightenment and home of the leading literary figures of Weimar Classicism , Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller . In
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#17327728949485146-402: The north), which are sold at Weimar Onion Market in October, and Saale-Unstrut wine from Bad Sulza , 25 km (16 mi) to the north-east. Industry has never been dominant in Weimar, nevertheless there were several big factories from different sectors until 1990. After reunification, nearly all factories got closed, either because they failed the adoption of free market economy or because
5229-408: The other root of Bauhaus , known as "Das Neue Weimar" ("The New Weimar") around Harry Graf Kessler . It was a foundation against Prussia 's restrictive arts policy favouring Historicism instead of international Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau . As early as the 19th century, the curation of Weimar and its heritage started. Many archives, societies and museums were founded to present and conserve
5312-425: The place where Germany's first democratic constitution was signed after the First World War , giving its name to the Weimar Republic (1918–33). It was also one of the cities mythologized by Nazi propaganda . Until 1948, Weimar was the capital of Thuringia. Many places in the city centre have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites , either as part of the Classical Weimar complex (containing monuments to
5395-442: The population increased from 3,000 in 1650 to 6,000 in 1750. Around the year 1800, Weimar had 7,000 inhabitants. Their number grew constantly over the years to 13,000 in 1850, 28,000 in 1900 and 35,000 at the beginning of World War I. During the interwar period, the new capital of Thuringia saw a population boom, which led to 65,000 inhabitants in 1940. Since that time, the population levels have stagnated. The years 2009 to 2012 brought
5478-440: The scheduled conclusion of Karabits' tenure as GMD of the company in the summer of 2019, following an inability to reach terms on extending his tenure. In the opera house, Karabits conducted the premiere in Paris of Les orages désirés by Gérard Condé in 2003. He made his debut at English National Opera in 2010 in Don Giovanni . His Deutsche Oper Berlin guest-conducting debut was with Boris Godunov in 2017. With
5561-400: The south around Frauenplan square. The majority of buildings in these areas are also of 17th- and 18th-century origin. During the late 19th and early 20th century, Weimar grew in all directions. Because of its function as an "officials' city", the houses in these areas are more substantial than in many comparable Gründerzeit quarters in Germany. The most uptown areas are those right and left of
5644-505: The terms of the Treaty of Versailles . Since the calm and centrally located Weimar had a suitable place of assembly (the theatre ), hotels and infrastructure, it was chosen as the host city. In 1920, the federal state of Thuringia was founded by an association of eight former microstates (Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Gotha , Saxe-Altenburg , Saxe-Meiningen , Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt , Schwarzburg-Sondershausen , Reuss-Gera and Reuss-Greiz ) and Weimar became its capital. Due to that fact,
5727-474: The territorial partitions led to the loss of political importance of the dukes of Saxe-Weimar and their finances shrunk. The city's polity weakened more and more and lost its privileges, leading to the absolutist reign of the dukes in the early 18th century. On the other hand, this time brought another construction boom to Weimar, and the city got its present appearance, marked by various ducal representation buildings. The city walls were demolished in 1757 and during
5810-416: The title of conductor laureate with the , and serve as artistic director of the orchestra's Voices from the East project. Karabits made his North American conducting debut with the Houston Symphony Orchestra in March 2009. Karabits first conducted the 'I, CULTURE Orchestra' of Poland in 2013 and became its artistic director in 2014. In November 2014, he made his first guest-conducting appearances with
5893-421: The west. The city itself is divided into 10 inner urban and 11 suburban districts. The centre is formed by the district Altstadt (old town) and the Gründerzeit districts Nordvorstadt in the north, Parkvorstadt in the east and Westvorstadt in the south and west. Later additions are Südstadt in the south and Schönblick in the southwest. Finally, there are the Plattenbau settlements, constructed during
5976-464: Was +4.5 per 1,000 inhabitants in 2012 (Thuringian average: -0.8; national average: +4.6). The most important regions of origin are rural areas of Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony as well as foreign countries like Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Hungary, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria. Like other eastern German cities, Weimar has a relatively small foreign population (compared to the German average): circa 4.0% are non-Germans by citizenship, while 7.9% have
6059-507: Was also active in civic duties while living there. He served as Privy Councilor to the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach for an extended period. The tombs of Goethe and Schiller, as well as their archives, may be found in the city. Goethe's Elective Affinities (1809) is set around the city of Weimar. In comparison to many major German states, the dukes' policy was liberal and tolerant in this period. The liberal Saxe-Weimar constitution
6142-738: Was assistant conductor of the Budapest Festival Orchestra from 1998 to 2000. He also served as associate conductor of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France from 2002 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007, Karabits was principal guest conductor of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg . In October 2006, Karabits made his first conducting appearance with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra (BSO), and returned in October 2007, where both concerts received acclaim. In November 2007,
6225-489: Was brought into effect in 1816. The time after Goethe's death is denoted as the "silver" age because Weimar remained an influential cultural centre. The first emphasis was fostering music. In 1842, Franz Liszt moved to Weimar to become the Grand Ducal court conductor. Liszt organized the premiere of Richard Wagner 's Lohengrin (1850) as well as the world première of Saint Saëns ' opera Samson et Delilah (1877) in
6308-554: Was built in 1703 and is the municipal library today. The neighbouring Red Castle is also part of the library and was built in the 1570s. The Wittumspalais is a smaller widow mansion near Theaterplatz, established in 1768. Outbildings of the ducal residence are the Husarenstall (1770), the later residence of Charlotte von Stein at Ackerwand street, the Marstall (1870s) at Kegelplatz, today used as Thuringian State Archive and
6391-417: Was destroyed in 1938. During the 1930s, the barracks in Weimar was greatly extended. One famous person serving as a soldier in Weimar was Wolfgang Borchert , later a well known poet and playwright. As it was the capital of Thuringia, the Nazis built a new Roman-fascist-style administrative centre between the city centre and the main station. This Gauforum [ de ] , designed by Hermann Giesler ,
6474-562: Was principal guest conductor of the ensemble from 1984 to 1987. The ensemble was officially renamed the Staatskapelle Weimar in 1988. In September 2009, the Swedish conductor Stefan Solyom became GMD of the ensemble, with an initial contract of five years. He concluded his Weimar tenure in July 2016. In July 2015, the ensemble announced the appointment of Kirill Karabits as its next GMD and chief conductor, effective with
6557-640: Was reopened in 2007. Weimar is situated within the valley of the Ilm river, a tributary of the Saale river on the southern border of the Thuringian Basin , a fertile agricultural area between the Harz mountains 70 km (43 mi) to the north and the Thuringian Forest 50 km (31 mi) to the southwest. The municipal terrain is hilly; the height of the city centre in the Ilm valley
6640-469: Was succeeded by Eduard Lassen who remained as director until his retirement in 1895. Lassen conducted several world premieres during his tenure, including the first performance of Camille Saint-Saëns 's Samson et Dalila in 1877. Richard Strauss served as second Kapellmeister under Lassen from 1889 to 1894 and led the premieres of his own Guntram and Engelbert Humperdinck 's Hänsel und Gretel . Peter Raabe became Kapellmeister in 1907. With
6723-583: Was the European Capital of Culture . Archaeological finds dating back to the Thuringii epoch (3rd to 6th centuries) show that the Weimar part of the Ilm valley was settled early. A tight network of settlements occupied much of the area of today's city. The oldest records regarding Weimar date to 899. Its name changed over the centuries from Wimares through Wimari to Wimar and finally Weimar; it
6806-468: Was the inspiration for many paintings by Lyonel Feininger , and the Lutheran parish church of Oberweimar , which was a former monastery, and is a good example of Gothic architecture in Weimar. Due to its function as a ducal residence, Weimar is rich in early-modern castles and palaces. The biggest one is the Stadtschloss at Burgplatz in the city centre. Today's four-wing building was started after
6889-734: Was the only Nazi governmental building completed outside Berlin (though there were plans for all German state capitals). Today it hosts the Thuringian State Administration. Other Giesler buildings are the Villa Sauckel [ de ] , the governor's palace and the Hotel Elephant [ de ] in the city centre. In 1937, the Nazis established Buchenwald concentration camp 8 km (5.0 mi) from Weimar city centre. Between July 1938 and April 1945, some 240,000 people were incarcerated in
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