Original Building

The ducal living quarters built by duke Johann Wilhelm von Saxon-Weimar (1530-1573) was redesigned during Anna Amalia’s reign - in the rococo fashion of the time according to plans by August Friedrich Straßburger - and opened to the public.

On the initiative of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832) and under the building supervision of Johann Heinrich Gentz (1766-1811), a building was constructed to connect the southern end of the original library to the old city tower dating from 1435.

The latter was transformed into a library tower by Clemens Wenzeslaus Coudray (1775-1845) and Carl Friedrich Steiner, who also added a neo-gothic entranceway onto the front. The spiral staircase inside the tower is very special. Originally built for Schloss Weida (1761), Coudray had it built into the tower and supplemented by a neo-gothic banister.

Finally, Coudray expanded the original building to the north by the axis of two windows. This last building project has significantly influenced the appearance of the historical building of the Herzogin Anna Amalia Library up until the present day.

After the fire on 9/4/04

Photo: Markus Goldammer

Further information
http://www.klassik-stiftung.de/haab