{"id":23990,"date":"2023-06-11T10:44:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-11T08:44:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/?p=23990"},"modified":"2023-06-11T10:44:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-11T08:44:10","slug":"goethes-residence-in-weimar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fromplacetoplace.travel\/germany\/thuringia\/weimar\/goethes-residence-in-weimar\/","title":{"rendered":"Where Goethe once lived – Goethe’s home in Weimar"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Weimar has always captivated people. So it is not surprising that Goethe felt at home here. One of the most famous Germans died in Goethe’s home on the Frauenplan in 1832.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Today, the Klassik Stiftung Weimar runs the Goethe National Museum in Goethe’s residence. It has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Classical Weimar” since 1998.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Weimar: Goethe Nationalmuseum \/ Klassik Stiftung Weimar\/ Foto: Alexander Burzik<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Goethe’s home<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On Frauenplan there is a building that was built in 1707-1709 by the princely chamber commissioner and hosier Helmershausen. It is not known whether he ever lived there. It is assumed that it was rented out. In any case, the family passed it on from generation to generation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1782 Goethe rented the western half of the house. A rather large area that included what is now the Yellow Room, the Juno Room and the Urbino Room, the western part of the rear building and large parts of the ground floor. He lived and worked in this house until 1789. Then he moved with Christiane Vulpius, whom he married in 1806, to a house in Marienstra\u00dfe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Innenhof<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

After the ducal chamber acquired the house on the Frauenplan in 1792 and provided Goethe with a servant’s flat there, he moved back in. Over the next few years, Johann Wolfgang had several alterations carried out, which the owner helped to finance. The duke, as the owner of the house, finally gave Goethe the house as a gift. After Goethe’s death in 1832, his grandchildren inherited Goethe’s home, and his daughter-in-law was granted residential rights. His former living and working quarters remained largely untouched until 1885. Only when Goethe’s last grandson died did the Weimar state receive the house and Goethe’s extensive collection contained therein, according to his will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Goethes<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Goethe National Museum was founded in the same year and shortly afterwards the first rooms opened their doors to visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the Goethe National Museum, which is run by the Klassik Stiftung Weimar, includes the residence, the garden and the two pavilions. In addition, an extension has been built. Here you can see Goethe’s extensive collection and pieces acquired later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Come along for a visit to the museum<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

My tour begins in an inner courtyard. A fountain gurgles and numerous doors lead into the individual parts of the building. On the ground floor there were once rooms for the servants and utility rooms. Today, small films about the house and the museum can be seen there. An ideal introduction to a tour of the house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I climb a staircase to the first floor. Here, I am told, Goethe had some alterations made. The staircase was not so representative before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Goethes<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

On the first floor, a tour begins through the living quarters and rooms in which the collector Goethe kept his exhibits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First you enter a yellow room. This room was a kind of distribution centre for the countless visitors. Only a few were welcome enough to be allowed into the private rooms. Most visitors could only present their concerns in the yellow room and then had to leave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Goethe-Nationalmuseum\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of the adjoining rooms are quite small and only a little light shines through the windows. I find the idea amazing that objects collected by the famous Johann Wolfgang von Goethe during his travels are on display here. There are said to have been about 50,000 exhibits in the rooms. All neatly stowed, placed or hung in designated cupboards, showcases or chests of drawers. The residents must have felt like they were in a museum. I found the view into Goethe’s library very exciting, even though the 5424 titles in about 7000 volumes were currently being restored. Just seeing the countless large shelves gives you an idea of how many books there are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Goethes<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The family’s living quarters are located in the front house with a view of the Frauenplan. They were furnished very representatively for the time. I have to admit that I am a little surprised by this. When I visited other museums\/former homes of poets, musicians, \u2026 it was noticeable that many lived in quite poor circumstances. Goethe was employed by the court and received a salary for his work. This, in combination with his inheritance, enabled him to live in good circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A bridge room built by Goethe connects the front house with the back house. This was where Goethe and his wife’s private work, living and sleeping quarters were located, among other things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Blick<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Today, the “Christianen Room” displays exhibits from the life of Goethe’s wife. From these rooms, the residents had a beautiful view of the garden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The highlight of the back house is certainly the master’s study. In the antechamber were parts of Goethe’s mineral collection. In the actual working area, there is still a standing desk that Gothe used. We were told that they even know exactly what was in the room and where.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here, in the back of the house, is also the room where Goethe died. He was not, as many visitors assume, lying in bed when he died. Goethe was sitting on a chair next to the bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Goethe-Apparat<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Something very special awaited me at the end of the tour of Goethe’s residence. In one room there was a screen with a control panel. Two handles were hanging from it, with which one could now operate an interactive animation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The so-called Goethe-Apparat hows the study on the screen that we were able to see shortly before. With the help of the handles, you can now move around the room, open drawers, take things out and put them back somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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