Klostergebäude Am Palais

Address
Am Palais 4
99423 Weimar
City map with adress Klostergebäude Am Palais (PDF, German)
Opening hours
Monday to Friday 7.00 am – 10.00 pm
Saturday 8.00 am – 10.00 pm (access with chip card)
Sunday 9.00 am – 10.00 pm (access with chip card)
You will find the following offices and rooms at the Klostergebäude Am Palais
Secretariat for the Department of Music Education and Church Music: first floor, room 107
Concert Hall Am Palais: first floor, room 109
Teaching rooms of the Department of Music Education and Church Music: first and second floors
History of the Klostergebäude Am Palais
'Am Palais' is the name of the street where the monastery building Am Palais of the University of Music FRANZ LISZT Weimar is located. The street leads to the 'Wittumspalais', the former residence of the widow duchess Anna Amalia (1739–1807). Anna Amalia had an important role in establishing the fame of Weimar as a cultural centre. One reason for this was the fact that she and her son, the duke Herzog Carl August, had brought some of the greatest classical poets to their 'company at table' in the Wittumspalais. Two attic rooms in the side tract of this palace were the first place of residence for the 'Großherzogliche Orchesterschule' (Grand Ducal Orchestral School) founded in 1872, now part of the Weimar University of Music.
In 1874 the school moved to the neighbouring 'Kornhaus', which used to be a Franciscan monastery around the year 1500; Martin Luther preached there several times. After the monks were expelled as a result of the reformation around 1530, the church there was used as a repository for grain – this is where the name comes from; 'Korn' can be translated as grain.
From 1874 the grand ducal school and starting in 1919 the state music school expanded continually until 1925 at which point they had the Kornhaus all to themselves. In 1929 primary school music teachers were educated there. In 1930 the 'Staatliche Musikschule' became the 'Hochschule für Musik' and in the beginning of 1933 the Department of Church Music was founded at the Kornhaus as well. Up until the year 1951 it was the main building for the Weimar University of Music.
Even to this day the departments of church music and music education work there; these departments have use of the entire building. The hall located in the building contains a massive organ, which is indispensable for the education of the organists of the Weimar University of Music. Since its restoration in the years 1991 to 1998, the building is safe from collapse and outfitted with modern classrooms. The gabled roof, which was bombed in 1945, has pointed proudly to the sky over Weimar since its renovation in 1997 and 1998.