Weimarer Fürstengruft
The Weimar royal crypt is the burial place of some members of the Houses of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Weimar -Eisenach in the Historical Cemetery in Weimar. Even Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is buried in her. The tomb is in the possession of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar. It belongs since 1998, together with the historic cemetery as part of the ensemble Classical Weimar on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Architectural and cultural history
Grand Duke Carl August planned since 1823 to build a royal crypt at the new Weimar cemetery, which was opened in 1818. Original burial site of Weimar was the Jacob cemetery, but was too small. The royal crypt was built in 1823-1828 by Clement Wenceslaus Coudray. In the summer of 1824 the lower vault was largely completed, so that the incorporated in city palace 27 coffins of the Weimar royal family could be transferred to the crypt. The royal crypt in Weimar serves as the tomb of the Grand Ducal House of Saxe -Weimar- Eisenach. Even Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is buried in the royal crypt. By 2008, it was assumed that Friedrich Schiller was buried there. Since a negative genetic test whose coffin is empty but the bones contained were buried in the adjacent cemetery.
On December 16, 1827 alleged bones of Schiller were transferred to the royal crypt, which was buried up to that point in the cash vault at the Jacob Cemetery. Carl August himself died on 14 June 1828, and was buried on 9 July in the royal crypt. Goethe was buried here on 26 March 1832, four days after his death. The designs for the metal coffin of Carl August and the oak coffins of Goethe and Schiller are from Coudray.
Later, the Russian Orthodox chapel was set as a grave chapel at the rear wall.
Modern History
During World War II the coffins of Goethe and Schiller were segregated into a Jena medical bunker. Already on May 12, 1945, she could be returned to the royal crypt.
After the expropriation of the tomb prince was in 1948 owned by the Land of Thuringia in December. In 1952, the royal crypt was renamed decision of the Goethe National Museum in " Goethe and Schiller Crypt". In 1992, this burial ground back its old name.
On a writing tablet in the upper part of the tomb is to read that the bones in the coffin of Schiller Schiller family could not be assigned due to a genetic testing performed. The remains were buried in the adjacent cemetery; the coffin is empty ever since.
List of Coffins
There are 33 coffins exhibited in the royal crypt. One ( No. 26) Of the original 42 coffins of members of the Houses of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Weimar -Eisenach was removed and ten outsourced for conservation reasons. Then there are the coffins of Goethe and Schiller.