With around 65,000 inhabitants, Weimar is the fourth largest city in Thuringia. The city is known above all for its cultural heritage. 1999 was an important year for Weimar as the European Capital of Culture.
Weimar is of central importance in German cultural history as the home of “Weimar Classicism”, where Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and Friedrich Schiller, as well as Christoph Martin Wieland and Johann Gottfried von Herder, worked. In the cultural city year 1999, several important anniversaries occurred for Weimar and for Germany, including Goethe’s 250th birthday, Schiller’s 240th birthday and the 90th anniversary of the Weimar Constitution. These anniversaries were also included in the cultural city year’s program of around 300 events – including exhibitions, concerts, opera and theater performances and conferences. The federal government and the state of Thuringia provided 63 million DM for the cultural program in Weimar. The program also repeatedly emphasized the immediate proximity of the Buchenwald concentration camp to the city of Weimar, thus highlighting the equally symbolically significant proximity of the “cultural nation” and Nazi crimes. source: Feierliche Eröffnung mit Feuerwerk über dem Goethe-Schiller Denkmal: Weimar ist Kulturhauptstadt Europas 1999 (19. Februar 1999)
There were a variety of events celebrating the city’s cultural heritage and artistic diversity. Here are some highlights:
- Opening ceremony: The year began with a grand opening ceremony that attracted numerous artists and visitors.
- Art and music festivals: There were several festivals, including the Weimar Art Festival and various music festivals that presented classical and modern music.
- Theatre performances: Weimar offered a range of theatre performances, including both classical plays and modern productions.
- Exhibitions: Numerous exhibitions in the city’s museums and galleries featured works by local and international artists.
- Literary events: As the hometown of Goethe and Schiller, there were many readings and literary events.
source: KI Microsoft Bing, request on 09.09.2025