Editing Weimar (section)

=== Early Modern Period ===
{{main|Saxe-Weimar}}
[[File:We-marktplatz01.jpg|thumb|left|Market Square with some 16th-century Renaissance patricians' houses]]
[[File:Weimar 1 (Merian).jpg|thumb|Weimar in 1650]]
After the [[Treaty of Leipzig]] (1485) Weimar became part of the electorate of the Ernestine branch of Wettins with [[Wittenberg]] as capital. The [[Protestant Reformation]] was introduced in Weimar in 1525; [[Martin Luther]] stayed several times in the city. As the Ernestines lost the [[Schmalkaldic War]] in 1547, their capital Wittenberg went also to the Albertines, so that they needed a new residence. As the ruler returned from captivity, Weimar became his residence in 1552 and remained as such until the end of the monarchy in 1918. The first Ernestine territorial partition in 1572 was followed by various ones, nevertheless Weimar stayed the capital of different [[Saxe-Weimar]] states. The court and its staff brought some wealth to the city, so that it saw a first construction boom in the 16th century. The 17th century brought decline to Weimar, because of changing trade conditions (as in nearby [[Erfurt]]). Besides, the territorial partitions led to the loss of political importance of the dukes of Saxe-Weimar and their finances shrunk. The city's polity weakened more and more and lost its privileges, leading to the absolutist reign of the dukes in the early 18th century. On the other hand, this time brought another construction boom to Weimar, and the city got its present appearance, marked by various ducal representation buildings. The city walls were demolished in 1757 and during the following decades, Weimar expanded in all directions. The biggest building constructed in this period was the ''[[Schloss Weimar|Schloss]]'' as the residence of the dukes (north and east wing: 1789–1803, west wing 1832–1835, south wing: 1913–1914). Between 1708 and 1717 [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] worked as the court's organist in Weimar.

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