A Tribute to an Exceptional Duchess

Due to its central location between Frauenplan street and the National Theatre, probably every visitor to Weimar walks along Schillerstrasse, usually several times. Opposite the theater: the Dower Palace. Approaching from the Goethe National Museum, you head straight for the building. Without blinds, passers-by could even see into the rooms on the ground floor. However, the building, which was erected between 1767 and 1769, is not immediately recognisable as a palace. Yes, that’s rather unusual, but, then again, we are also talking about an unusual woman who lived here for decades: Duchess Anna Amalia of Saxe-Weimar and Eisenach, who was a regent, patron, composer and “Founder of the Weimar Court of the Muses”.

“She’s the reason I’m here,” admits Cornelia Irmisch, who works at the Klassik Stiftung Weimar as a curator in the department “Residential Palace, Court and Residential Culture”. Even during her studies – Irmisch’s master’s thesis was on the collection of antique vessels belonging to the duchess – she was fascinated by Frederick the Great’s niece. Her background is quite interesting: married to Duke Ernst August at the age of 16, she had to give birth to a hereditary prince as soon as possible due to her husband’s illness. Check. Carl August was born (as was son no. 2) and then her husband passed away. This marked the beginning of something extraordinary and unheard of: a woman as regent! – a guardianship government. When Anna Amalia’s son finally became of age, she moved into the widow’s palace in 1775, which is the origin of the name Dower Palace.

So Many Talents, so Many Interests

Even without the guidance of an expert, visitors can still get an impression of the art-loving duchess. In fact, several impressions. Three screens situated in the vault provide an initial glimpse, almost like a free sample. For one, a look at the history of the building, for example as a meeting place for the Masonic Lodge or a holding cell for renegades. But more so at the life of Anna Amalia and her 32 years spent at the Dower Palace. The “emancipated” and educated woman from today’s perspective – the library she founded and named after herself is legendary – also provided a lot of material. “The duchess had so many talents and interests,” says Irmisch. “The more you learn about her as a person, the more you want to know about her!”

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Green Salon in Dower Palace, ©Candy Welz, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Bestand Fotothek

Founder of the Round Table

Information is provided, for example, by the Green Salon at the beginning of the palace tour. In contrast to other rooms, it contains predominantly authentic exhibits. For example, the pictures on the green walls are souvenirs from the duchess’s trip to Italy. In addition to a sedan chair (visible in the staircase), decorative salon items include tables with marble tops, a chessboard made of ivory and ebony, and several others. During that time, these Empire-style furniture pieces, as well as a seating sofa or the multifunctional table for washing and writing (!), were considered particularly modern compared to the earlier Rococo furniture. Irmisch: “She was an absolute trendsetter.”

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Round table room in Dower Palace, ©Hannes Bertram, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Bestand Fotothek

This is also true when it comes to social aspects. The Duchess’s Round Table (Tafelrunde), which she held in the dining room, also known as the Table Room (Tafelzimmer), has (had) cult status. “It was an almost utopian place,” according to Irmisch, “because poets, scholars, artists and people from the bourgeoisie exchanged ideas there and even then men and women had discussions as equals.”The “Weimar Court of the Muses”, as the culturally interested circle surrounding Anna Amalia was called, contributed significantly to Weimar's good reputation among intellectual greats such as Goethe, Schiller, Wieland and Co. And they ultimately laid the foundations for the “Golden Age” in the Duchy of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach, the keywords here being “Ilm-Athens” and Weimar Classicism. Miniature obelisks and portraits of the prominent people of that time still provide for a venerable spirit today.

Sounds of the Past

There are a few “notes” to be made about the music as well. The duchess took lessons in composition and piano from Weimar’s number 1, Ernst Wilhelm Wolf. And with success, as she set Goethe’s Singspiel “Erwin und Elmire” to music and created her own symphonies and sonatas. She also surrounded herself with a number of musicians. In 1775, relieved of all official duties, she devoted herself entirely to her scientific and especially artistic inclinations. The music room is evidence of this. Walls in yellow and silver, furniture in chocolate brown, a remarkable ceiling painting. The stars, however, are a harp from the early 19th century and a grand piano that is over 200 years old. Jewels, not only to look at, but also to listen to. “Once or twice a month, the restored instruments are unlocked, explained and, most importantly, played during sound tours. It’s very emotional!”

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Ballroom in Dower Palace, ©Candy Welz, Klassik Stiftung Weimar, Bestand Fotothek

The music also sets the tone on the next floor. For one, there’s the grand piano in the first room, which likely resonates with fiery passion given its well-worn notches; it’s gracefully situated within a museum-like ambiance. On the other hand, you'll find a replica of a Liszt grand piano and a fortepiano gracing the ballroom. Crystal chandeliers hang from the columns, and the ceiling painting by Adam Friedrich Oeser is magnificent, as is the floor. It’s no wonder that the bright concert hall, which appears to be in its 1804 state, is also coveted today as an event location for readings, discussion forums or – especially popular – civil weddings.

Header Picture: ©Florian Trykowski, Thüringer Tourismus GmbH