Weimar

wi'mar, a city of Germany. It is the capital of the grand duchy of Saxe-Weimar. It is pleasantly situated on the Ilm in the district known to tourists as Thuringia. Its neighbors are Gotha, Jena, Erfurt, and Eisenach. Weimar is a city of about 31,000 inhabitants. It is noted as the former residence of Duke Charles Augustus, a liberal patron of literature. Goethe resided here fifty-six years. Schiller also made Weimar his home. Other noted names are Herder and Wieland. The homes occupied by these distinguished men are still shown. The public squares are adorned with monuments to their memory. On account of its literary associations Weimar has been termed the German Athens. One of the most remarkable buildings is the State Church which possesses an altar piece by Lucas Cranach, in which he introduced portraits of himself, Luther, and Melanchthon. See Goethe; Schiller, etc.