Deutsches Nationaltheater Weimar

The German National Theater (Deutsches Nationaltheater) is a landmark neoclassical theater, famed as the site where Germany's Weimar Constitution was drafted in 1919. The current theater building opened in 1908, featuring a restrained Classical facade with a columned portico – in front of which stands the Goethe-Schiller Monument. The theater has a storied history: Goethe himself managed its precursor, the ducal court theater, in the early 1800s, premiering Schiller's plays on its stage. That 19th-century theater was later replaced by this larger structure designed by architect Max Littmann. Inside, the auditorium holds ~800 seats and a spacious stage, serving as Weimar's principal venue for drama, opera, and concerts. In February 1919, the National Assembly met here, and on August 11, 1919, President Ebert signed Germany's new constitution in the theater – events commemorated by plaques in the lobby. In WWII the theater was damaged and reopened in 1948 after repairs. Today, the DNT is home to the Staatskapelle Weimar orchestra and stages a repertoire of classical and modern works. As a cultural flagship of Weimar, the National Theater embodies the city's legacy of art and political change, its steps eternally linked to the dawn of German democracy.