Goethe Gartenhaus

History

The former vineyard cottage in the Park on the Ilm was the first home acquired by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in Weimar in 1776, a few months after his arrival in Weimar, together with the surrounding garden. The Gartenhaus was Goethe’s main residence and workplace until he moved to Frauenplan. A large part of his literary works dated back to that period was written there, including the ballad of the Erlkönig and the poem To the Moon.

After buying the house, Goethe began to repair it and redesign the garden immediately. He divided it into three parts, which are still recognizable today: the park-like slope behind the house, the sunny orchard and the lower part of the garden where the vegetable beds can be found. Apart from supplying the household with fruit and vegetables, the garden was also a venue for social events. 

After Goethe’s death, the Gartenhaus became a place of pilgrimage for his admirers, and was opened to the public as a memorial site in 1886. Since the restoration in 1995/1996, the interior once again glows in the colours chosen by Goethe.

Visitation

The tour includes the dining room and the kitchen on the ground floor along with four more rooms on the upper floor used by Goethe as his living room, study and bedroom. 

The furnishings on display are part of the original inventory and are drawn from all stages in Goethe’s life. They include furnishings as rare and original as the pedestal desk with seating support in the study and the folding bed in the sleeping area. The pictures, objects and manuscripts on display all come from Goethe’s legacy and are related to the time when he lived there. A selection of his drawings can be seen, most of which were produced in the Gartenhaus or nearby.