EISENACH, rze-nito. A town of the Grand Duchy of Saxe-Weimar, and former residence of the Principality of Eisenach. situated at the northwestern end of the Thuringian Forest and at the confluenee of the Nesse with the 45 miles west of Weimar (Map: Ger many, D 3). The town is well laid out. and has a number of squares. one of which• the Luther platz, contains the house where Luther lived while studying at Eisenach. and another. Karls platz, is adorned with a bronze statue of Luther. The most noteworthy ecclesia-tical edifices are the Church of Saint Nicholas, dating from the twelfth century. with an octagonal tower: the Church of Saint George. a large Gothic edifice with a bronze statue of Sebastian Bad'. a na tive of Eisenach. Other interesting buildings are the palace, erected in 1742; the town hall; the Klemda, an old castellated building dating from the thirteenth century, and now occupied by a club; the theatre; and the house where Se bastian Bach was born. Not far from the town. on a lofty eminence, is situated the Castle of Wartburg. the residence of the mediaeval land graves of Thuringia, dating pr( bably from the eleventh century, but mainly built in the suc ceeding centuries, and recently restored. It etin sists of two main parts. the and the Ilof burg. the former containing the Ilitterhaus and stables, and the latter the apartments of the landgravcs. Among the in the Vorburg, the most interesting is that occupied by Lu ther while he worked 4,11 his famous transla tion of the Bible. The Hofburg contains many
of great splendor. including the Sangersaal, where, according to local tradition, the contests of the .:\linnesingers were held under the patron age of the Landgrave Iferinann 1. (1190 1217), as described in the old poem, Brice ron Wart Ury. The castle is now occasionally occupied by the Grand Duke of \\ dour.
Among the educational institutions of Eise nach• the most prominent is the gymnasium, for me•ly a Latin school, which counted among its pupils Luther and Sebastian Bach. Eisenach has some It:ell-developed manufacturing industries. and produces paint, chemicals, woolen goods. leather. pottery. shoes, tobacco, and cigars. It owns its water-supply, ha, an electric street railway. and is lighted by gas and electricity. The neighborhood of Eisenach is of remarkable picturesqueness. ornamented with splendid gardens and magnifi cent residences. The town was founded in 1070. near the older town of Isenach, or I:en:mum. It prospered under the protection of the landgraves of Thuringia, the owners of the Wartburg, and was, from 1599 to 1741. the residence of the princes of Eisenach. Population, in 1890. 21.399; in 1900. 31.442. Consult: Storeh. Beschreibung der Stadt Eisenach (Eisenach, 1831) Schwerdt and Jager. Eisenach and die Wartburg (ib., 1S711: Warnatz, Wartburg nod Eisenach in Sage und Geschichte (Vienna. 1881) Seheller, Eisenach find edited by Kiihner (Eisenach, 1898).