Weimar has been the center of attention for centuries. If you were sombody in the middle ages on in middle Germany, then Weimar was the place to be. Three very popular people you may know who lived in Weimar in the 19th century are music composers and conductors Franz Liszt and Richard Strauss, along with well-known philosopher Friedrich Neitzche who three years after he moved there died.
Lucas Cranach the Elder was invited by Friedrich the Wise's son Friedrich the Wise I, to come and live in Weimar to do some work for him. While there he died at the age of 81 and was buried in the cemetery next to Jacob's Church. (You can see his grave marker on the side of the church below.)
Interestingly enough, the famous Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Weimar for almost 10 years. His first six children were born in Weimar and four of them were baptized here at St. Peter and Paul Church. Believe it or not Bach had spent about one month in the castle cell for receiving payment for a job while already commissioned for another. Once you were being paid as a musician fulltime, you were not to take on any outside work. He broke that contract.
St. Peter and Paul Church is located in the heart of Weimar. From 1776 - 1803, Johann Gottfried Heerder was General Superintenndant and Pastor of the City Church which was nicknamed the "Herder Church." Later, in 1850 a statue was placed out in front of the church i the plaza on whih it was placed was eventually named after him in his honor.
Two famous Wittenbergers also impacted Weimar know for being a cultural center. The three-winged altar peice at St. Peter and Paul has an interesting history. The panels were begun by Lucas Cranach the Elder and because he died before they were finished, Lucas Cranach the Younger completed them. Luther also preached here on numerous occasions. (You will see the triptych Lucas Cranach paintings of Luther in the attachment below.) When Luther visited the town, he would stay with at the monastary of the Fransiscans. He also preached at the Monastary Church as well. Enjoy the pictures.
"Where's Pastor?"
Hint: Today is our last day in Erfurt. Want to guess where we were today?
Luther Quote of the Day
"Peace if possible. Truth at all costs."
I am very much enjoying the very thorough histories and descriptions of the cities your are visiting. I especially like the Luther quotes you conclude each day with. My favorite so far is, "God does not care about your good works, but your neighbor does".
ReplyDeleteOops, I misquoted Luther in my previous quote. It should read, "God does not NEED our good works, but a neighbor does". Of course God cares about our good works, however, he does not need them for sure.
ReplyDeleteThanks David! So glad you're enjoying the history and following along. Makes it worth publishing something each day as we experience it!
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