On June 26th, our Deutsch LK took a day trip to Weimar. Before, we’d been talking about the different literary periods (including the Weimar Classicism) and we had also read Kleist’s drama “Der Zerbrochene Krug”. Therefore, the interest in Weimar and its history was very strong.
We met very early in the morning at the main train station so we could take the train to Erfurt at 7:20 a.m. We then changed trains in Erfurt and arrived in Weimar at around 10 a.m.
Our very first impression of the town was the statue of Schiller and Goethe before the National Theater. Fun fact: Even though Goethe was considerably smaller than Schiller during his lifetime, it was wanted that both men would be portrayed to be the same height in order to show off their equal genius and their working relationship.
After having been given some free time (in which we got to explore the town), we met at the Schillerhaus which neighbored an exhibition about Goethe’s drama “Faust”. We first explored the latter and afterwards, we got a guided tour through the house of Schiller, giving us the opportunity to not only admire the rooms and the architecture that was once the home of Schiller and his family, but also to learn more about them and their lives.
Afterwards, we had some free time again. This time, however, we all spent it together in the park on the Ilm River. We ate our picnic lunch and played games together.
Lastly, we explored the house and the garden of Goethe, this time with audio guides. The interior design was characterized by art collections of ancient antiquity, something Goethe adored relentlessly. For example, there was a cupboard full with plates which portrayed important scenes of Greek mythology.
Finally, we were able to say goodbye to Weimar in small groups before we headed to the train station at 6 p.m., just as the rain started to fall.
All in all, it was a truly special trip that we will remember for a long time. It was fascinating to visit the places where the people we know so well from school once lived. Goethe and Schiller are now no longer just poets whose poems we analyze, but also interesting personalities and people. We would like to thank our teacher, Mrs Doktor Specht, for making this trip possible!