Mythos Weimar

Weimar, the epitome of German culture, is celebrated as the city of Classicism, home to Goethe and Schiller, and a significant hub for Franz Liszt and Richard Wagner. It symbolizes the transition to modernity, where the Bauhaus movement, led by figures like Walter Gropius and Lionel Feininger, explored new aesthetics in architecture and art. Weimar also holds a complex political history, being the birthplace of the first German Republic and a site of reactionary movements, as well as a grim reminder of Nazi atrocities. The Buchenwald concentration camp, which continued under Soviet control post-war, represents the experience of two dictatorships in Germany. Peter Merseburger provides a well-researched and critically nuanced account of Weimar’s ambivalent history, balancing ideals of humanity against barbarism, revolutionary change against totalitarian oppression, while advocating against the political exploitation of this national symbol. Critics praise Merseburger’s work as a significant contribution to understanding German history through the lens of Weimar, highlighting its readability and critical perspective on a national treasure.