Not far from the artificial ruins in Ilmpark stands a monument to William Shakespeare. The tribute of a British poet in Weimar surprises, but there is a reason. Goethe is considered a main protagonist in the German Shakespeare reception of his time. [German]
Monument to William Shakespeare
The monument was created by the Berlin sculptor Otto Lessing (1846-1912) and unveiled in 1904. It is considered the only monument erected in continental Europe for the famous playwright from England.
William Shakespeare and Weimar
Weimar is known for German poets like Johann Gottfried Herder, Christian Martin Wieland, Friedrich Schiller and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Therefore, I was surprised to learn there is a monument to William Shakespeare in the central Ilmpark.
Local sources told me the reason for his popularity in the Thuringian city. Wieland had translated several works of William Shakespeare, and Goethe performed these plays in his theatre in Weimar.
Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft
Weimar is also the seat of the Deutsche Shakespeare-Gesellschaft. This society dealing with William Shakespeare saw its foundation in 1864. It collected an extensive library with material about the English poet. Today, you find this collection in the Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek.
Sources / More info
- William Shakespeare Monument (literaturland-thueringen.de)
- William Shakespeare Monument (weimar-lese.de)