Duchess Anna Amalia Library Weimar

Formerly public princely library

The Duchess Anna Amalia Library was one of the first publicly accessible princely libraries in Germany. Wieland, Goethe, Schiller and Herder had already worked with their book collections.

The library today

Today the collection comprises about 1 million volumes, 200,000 of which date back to 1850. Today the library is a research library for literature and art history with a focus on the period around 1800.

The historic building and the rococo hall have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1998.

The great public impact goes back to Duchess Anna Amalia, who had the "Grüne Schlösschen" converted into a library in the 18th century. The ducal library previously housed in the Residenzschloss then moved into the new house. On the first floor a representative hall with two galleries in the late rococo style was built. The books covered a wide range of topics. History, art and fine literature were the main topics. Under Goethe's leadership as Minister of State, the library was one of the most important in Germany and in 1832 had over 80,000 volumes.

In 2004 a devastating fire destroyed the upper floors and the works of art and books stored there. In 2007 the library was reopened after extensive renovation.

By public transport

The Duchess Anna Amalia Library is located right next to the park on the Ilm river. 15 minutes walk from the railway station through the historic old town.