New Goethe Exhibition in Weimar 2012
A new permanent exhibition about Johann Wolfgang von Goethe will open at the Goethe National Museum in Weimar for the 263rd birthday of the poet on August 28th 2012.
With the new exhibition scholars are responding especially to the expectations of young visitors.
The poet, statesman and naturalist Goethe lived, with only short interruptions, in the baroque house on the Weimar Frauenplan from 1782 until his death in 1832. Wolfgang Holler, president of the Museums of the Classical Foundation says 'We have Goethe's home and way of living, his writings, his collections and his estate. This is unique and amounts to 50,000 objects'.
Walther von Goethe had bequeathed the writings of his grandfather to the Grand Duchess Sophie in his will and the art and science collections fell to the state of Saxe-Weimar. 'The state of Saxe-Weimar has decreed at this time that the heritage has to be preserved', Holler said. 'Weimar was a great cultural power'.
In the new exhibition, the educational aspect will be the centre of the focus. Less and less visitors may come to worship the poet, but more and more will only discover the poet for the first time. 'The museum must adapt to these different interests and needs' explained the Museum Director, Bettina Werche. The personality of Goethe will be expressed using meaningful exhibitions appealing to all the senses. New multi-media presentations will serve to deepen and to invite, above all young visitors, to further discoveries.
The stream of visitors to Weimar continues to this day. Every year up to 180,000 people from all over the world make the pilgramage through the living and work areas, as originally decorated, of the Goethe family. For reasons of conservation no more can be done to these. Holler and his team want therefore to channel visitors not only to the permanet exhibition but also to the house; house, garden and permanent exhibition are to be more closely linked. Separate entrances and exits are being considered.
