Russian Orthodox Chapel, Weimar

The Russian Orthodox Church in Weimar was built around 1860 as a grave chapel for the Russian Grand Duchess Maria Pavlovna. It is located on the historic cemetery in Weimar, just behind the royal crypt, and is connected underground with this. The coffin Maria Pavlovna located directly in the underground connection between the royal crypt and grave chapel. The coffin of her husband Carl Friedrich is located immediately next to it. From the chapel performs, now closed by a metal plate, spiral staircase in this underground connection to the royal crypt.

History

Maria Pavlovna had decreed that after her death, a Russian Orthodox chapel should be erected over her grave. The grave church was built in 1860-1862 according to the plans of the upper building director Carl Heinrich Ferdinand Streichhan ( 1814-1884 ) on behalf of the Grand Duke Carl Alexander. Da Maria Pavlovna belonged to the Russian royal family, demanded "the Protocol" that she had to be buried on Russian soil. On the other hand, she was also the Regent of Saxe-Weimar - Eisenach, and had therefore to be buried in Weimar. You could satisfy both conditions by several truckloads original Russian soil were carted from the area around Saint Petersburg to Weimar, which were heaped up on a hill in the Weimar cemetery on which the chapel was built. The church was consecrated on 24 November 1862 the name Maria Magdelena. During the construction of grave chapel was a breakthrough in the southern wall of the lower arch. The coffin Maria Pavlovna was housed in this transition region.

Was used and the chapel of the Russian Orthodox community of Weimar for worship and funeral ceremonies. Since the time of origin were regular repair work such as due to the moisture in the masonry necessary.

1953, the chapel in legal ownership of the National Research and memorials of classical German literature ( NFG ), which carried out further extensive restoration work on the building.

Today, the chapel is part of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar.