The Bach city of Arnstadt is idyllically situated on the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and close to the attractive "Drei Gleichen" conservation area. It is considered the entrance gate to the Thuringian Forest. In 2004, the former residential city looked back on 1300 years of city history, which is evidenced by many stone testimonies and various traces of history.
The front tower of the Neideck ruin, witness of a castle that has now fallen apart, greets you like a lighthouse from afar.
The towers of the Romanesque-Gothic Church of Our Lady and the Jakobsturm also dominate the city skyline.
A stroll through the city reveals narrow streets, beautiful Renaissance buildings and valuable sacred buildings. Arnstadt was first mentioned in a document in 704 and is the oldest town in Thuringia.
Archaeological finds that were made in and around Arnstadt in Thuringia, however, testify to a settlement around 4000-1800 B.C.E. An imperial assembly under King Otto I, the later German Emperor, took place here in 954. This expresses the importance of Arnstadt in the empire of that time.
In 1266 Arnstadt received city rights. From the 13th to the 18th century, Arnstadt was primarily a town of craftsmen, a trading center for woad, one of the most important wine-growing areas in Thuringia and an important grain handling and wood stacking area.
Arnstadt Castle Museum In 1581, many town houses, the town hall and the Bonifatius Church were destroyed. In 1583 the town hall was rebuilt in the Renaissance style and other town houses on Marktplatz and Riedplatz. The Liebfrauenkirche (1200-1307) is one of the most important sacred buildings in Thuringia.
Neideck Castle Ruins A special attraction is the miniature world "Mon plaisir" with dolls housed in the castle museum. It shows a mirror image of the baroque courtly world and is one of the art-historically unique pieces in Europe.
An originally preserved baroque porcelain cabinet can also be viewed. In many other places, too, Arnstadt is proving to be a gem to be discovered in the Central German cultural landscape. The city model "Arnstadt around 1740" in the gardener's house of the Neideck castle ruins depicts the small-town residence town of Arnstadt at this time with great precision.
Bach Church in Arnstadt The New Palace of the Arnstadt Castle Museum now houses the New Bach Exhibition with a Bach memorial and literature cabinet. Members of the Bach family of musicians lived in Arnstadt for several generations (1620-1792). Johann Sebastian Bach was the organist in today's Bach Church from 1703 to 1707. Writers like Ludwig Bechstein, "Marlitt" and Willibald Alexis were also drawn to Arnstadt.
Additional Information:
Alteburg, Fasanerie, Himmelfahrtskirche, Oberkirche, Prinzenhof ArnstadtCultural highlight: experience Bach at original locations!
One year after the much-praised success of the 10-year anniversary spectacle in the heart of Arnstadt, the Bach Festival Arnstadt presents itself again in 2015 with well-known modernity, versatility and world class. From March 20-29, 2015, Thuringian culture will be dusted off for the eleventh year in a row and Johann Sebastian Bach's life and work will be celebrated in Arnstadt.
The festival opens with the Tölzer Boys Choir. In addition to musical performances by ensembles such as Travercord and Concerto Melante, Jens Johler's Bach reading and the annual organ tour are among the highlights of the festival edition.
The top Swiss brass ensemble Swiss Brass Consort will round off the event. Here you can find detailed information about the Bach Festival.
Source: thueringen.info
