Wechmar: The First of the Bach Places of the Musical Family of Joh. Seb. Bach
The Bach location Wechmar – or if you prefer – the Bach Ancestral Home Wechmar is considered the cradle of the musical family around one of the greatest musicians, composers and organ experts who ever lived on earth, Johann Sebastian Bach. Exactly here, in this community, begins what later, much later, will one day become the greatest and most famous musical family in the world: handed down in the "Origin of the Musical Bachish Family" (... "Ursprung der musicalisch-Bachischen Familie"). This is what Johann Sebastian Bach himself calls his compilation, in which he listed a whole 53 family members in 1735, almost all of whom were musicians. As No. 1 he listed Veit Bach and mentioned the name Wechmar. This Wechmar. This Bach location Wechmar. Or just – the offer is still valid – this Bach Ancestral Place Wechmar.
The Bach location Wechmar is no longer independent today. Wechmar is now a district of the municipality Drei Gleichen, Thuringia, Germany. In the immediate neighborhood of Wechmar is the Bach city of Gotha.
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Gotha is a city of Bach ... here you can see the town hall. Just as Wechmar is a Bach location. But both Bach places are not Johann Sebastian Bach locations. What is meant? There are four categories of so-called Bach towns and if they are smaller, then they are called Bach locations: First, of course, there are those Bach towns and Bach locations that one associates very directly with him, because he lived and worked there for a longer time, and also got married in a Bach location (... category A). Next are the Bach cities and Bach locations that are essentially associated with the entire Bach family of musicians (... Category B). Finally, there are the Thomas Cantor's places of activity, cities and places where Bach worked once, twice or more often for a short time (... Category C). And finally, there are the locations that only have to do something with Johann Sebastian Bach in the very broadest sense. Or with the family, when none of the Bachs made music yet. Or only for Bachs who are on their way in matters of genealogy. But this category D is also since 2021 for all Bach fans who want to get to know the master beyond his music particularly intensively. Three previously unknown Bach locations are especially exciting for those who are interested in the early Bach genealogy: a real surprise.
Wechmar is actually a Bach location in category B. Johann Sebastian Bach himself was never in Wechmar – as far as Bach science knows – but the Bach location Wechmar is important. Important regarding the history of the composer Johann Sebastian Bach. And Wechmar is of course – as Bach ancestral place – even more important for the Bach Genealogy. You can learn more about this Bach genealogy by clicking here. Because Wechmar is so important, we make it – even without Bach's former presence – a Bach location of category A. Honorary degree!
Sorry, Dear "Drei Gleicheners": On This Website It Is Just All About the Bach Place of Wechmar
The "Drei Gleicheners" may please forgive me that in the description of the exciting township of Wechmar, the beautiful municipality of Drei Gleichen clearly appears far too short and only Wechmar – precisely as the Bach place Wechmar – plays the major role.
Because here on this page about the Bach location Drei Gleichen it is really only about this special part of the place, that is just about Wechmar. The story, with which the suburb Wechmar advanced even more to the Bach location Wechmar, is adventurous, unusual and rich in personal commitment. Especially the commitment of three persons: These are Knut Kreuch, who is now the chief mayor of the neighboring city of Gotha, Thuringia, Germany. And this is the married couple Renate and Elmar von Kolson, who have now also lived in Wechmar for many years. All three of them have rendered outstanding services to the preservation of Bach as a cultural asset in Wechmar with truly unusual commitment and with the most intense expenditure of time. Only they have made the place Wechmar again the Bach Ancestral Location Wechmar or the Bach location Wechmar – you remember: just as you like – which it is today.
From a Bach at this point a late thank you!
The Bach location Wechmar inspires, like few Bach cities in Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, with several worth seeing locations within the municipal boundaries on the topic. However – and now this is different compared to the other Bach cities – all highlights in Wechmar are within a five-minute walk. Because Wechmar is almost no bigger. There is the Bach Ancestral Home, the Veit Bach Mill, the St. Viti Church, which is important for the Bach genealogy, and the former schoolhouse, which was preserved in a tremendous personal effort. Finally, there is also the overnight accommodation "Golden Lion". If that is not a reason for Bach fans to visit this Bach location once?!
A look into the past, when Wechmar was still a part of the municipality Günthersleben-Wechmar. In the meantime, Wechmar and Günthersleben no longer belong together, but Wechmar is now a district of Drei Gleichen. So exactly this picture above is ... right ... also no longer up to date.
The Bach Location Wechmar Is Available Net "Free of Charge"
What is meant by this?
Let's assume you are traveling in the footsteps of Bach. Keyword: the Bach cities and the Bach locations. Then the question arises, which ones do you visit at all? And with that, you quickly come to the conclusion that most of them can be found in Thuringia ... within a very narrow radius.
Ohrdruf is such a Bach city. And Ohrdruf is so close to the Bach location of Wechmar that you simply should not "leave Wechmar out" if you are ever in the "Land of the Bache", as the Bach family used to be called.
Did Veit Bach come from Pressburg in Ungarn (Hungary) to Wechmar? No, no, no! He never lived in Pressburg, and from Hungary ... he did not come either. But you can get to Pressburg quite easily, in fact with a click here.
About Veit Bach, Ungarn (Hungary) and the Bach Place of Wechmar near Gotha in Thuringia
Genealogical secrets entwine around Veit Bach. But in Bach Genealogy at this time – we are talking about the year 1600 – and this is precise by fifteen years or so – it is nothing special. Because almost all records are missing. Records of importance. Nevertheless, a few do exist. Perhaps one is the most important of all: the so-called "Origin" ("Ursprung") of Johann Sebastian Bach himself. In fact, this document turns the relatively insignificant, small village of Wechmar into the Bach location Wechmar – yes, I know – the Bach Ancestral Home Wechmar.
However, what is Hungarian in connection with Wechmar? Nothing at all. It is not known whether Veit was first born in Wechmar and later left Thuringia. But it seemed to be known that Veit Bach "had to escape" from Hungary (Ungarn). In the "sixteenth seculo". So at the beginning of the records of Johann Sebastian Bach – the origin (... the Ursprung) – he came from there? However, how Veit came to Hungary, whether the Bachs were originally Hungarians, or whether the Bachs, then the Bache, moved away to Hungary and then came back ... that was absolutely not clear for 270 years. Only for a short time it has been finally researched. For English-speaking visitors: To understand at all about the 270-year-long fight about the origin you must realize, that "Ungern" with an " e " is not known as any location anywhere. However, "Ungarn" with an "a " means Hungary. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach's son, decided – in his necrology on his father – to change this " e " into an " a " although he was told it's "Ungern" in stories from the past, and he was able to read it in the "Ursprung", written by his dad. In English this play with letters makes no sense at all, because there is no such similarity.
Dozens of Bach biographies, essays and works provide a background to the Bach history in Wechmar. It seems clear – to anticipate here the intensive research that can be experienced on another likewise young website on the subject – that in the Bach location of Wechmar, the Bachs became the musical family. Before they, the Bache, already existed ... but they had nothing to do with music yet.
The mill. More precisely: the Veit Bach mill. Even more precise? The Veit Bach Upper Mill. Here in the Bach location of Wechmar, both Veit Bach and his son, Hans the Spielmann once lived and worked.
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By the way, the one above is Hans, a spelman (... a Spielmann). To make it easier for you: There is a "Hans, the Spielmann" and a "Hans, a Spielmann" in the Bach Genealogy. So the one above is Hans, ein ( ! ) Spielmann. The " a " makes the difference. In the Bach Genealogy you can – without experience – despair at the small difference. By the way, if you search for Johann Christoph Bach on the internet, you will probably give up very quickly with the "third Johann Christoph". Johann Christoph 1 and Johann Christoph 2 in fact cover "all other Johann Christophs" on the internet: In fact, there are 17 of them in this huge family of musicians. Are you interested in which are the most important and the greatest families of musicians of all time, or were? You know what to do.
A Visit to the Bach Place of Wechmar, Thuringia Is Really Cool and Rewarding
The Bach Ancestral Home (... Bach-Stammhaus) at the Bach place of Wechmar. Location no. 1 and almost a must for everybody, who is interested in this family beyond the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. So, the Bach Ancestral Home ...
... and the Veit Bach Mill, which now makes the town of Wechmar even more impressively the Bach location Wechmar. The mill has existed for a long, long time ... in fact for about 400 years. But it was only when it was scheduled for demolition in the recent past that people discovered what a treasure they had almost destroyed.
You can't get any closer to the Bachs: The Golden Lion (... Golden Lion), a place to sleep in the Bach location of Wechmar. Members of this Bach family once lived here, too. A 20-second walk away is the Bach Ancestral Home, 60 seconds away is the school where Bache were teaching, and also 60 seconds away are Saint Vitus Church and the cemetery, where some Bache are surely buried. A full 240 seconds away is then also the Veit Bach Mill. You notice: This is easy to experience without a car. The Bach location of Wechmar ... in fact, all of this was already laid out for you around 1600 in a really visitor-friendly way.
The "Golden Lion" in the Bach place of Wechmar (... ... in the meantime, unfortunately, you can no longer eat there, only stay overnight, is what you can do again): I was dining there many years ago, I was lodging there, and I had the time of my life with Mr. Löffler. About what did we talk? OK, guess three times. My judgement: I would choose that place again, any time. It tasted great, I was sleeping like a child, I felt perfect. And I was very close to the back then Bachs. Unfortunately, in the meantime, you can't get anything to eat or drink there anymore. It is no longer a restaurant.
Where Do You Find More Exciting Stuff About Wechmar, Thuringia, Germany?
Of course, as always there is more to every topic in our Bach mission – so also to the topic "Bach location Drei Gleichen Wechmar" – on Wikipedia. Whereby there are even two Wikipedia articles, in addition to the one just listed, there is also "the wiki" about the suburb of Wechmar. And of course Drei Gleichen also has its own website. However, it's in German only. There are more facts and also worth knowing, but just less for Bach fans and for those who are interested in Veit Bach. But then there are already two more exciting websites concerning Veit Bach and Wechmar – as the origin of the musical Bach family of Johann Sebastian Bach – in fact the website about the Bach Ancestral Home with the title Bach Ancestral Home Wechmar and the official website of the municipality. Both websites deal with Veit Bach and his residence, today's Oberbackhaus in particular. Worth mentioning is then of course the page of the Wechmarer Heimatverein e. V. (... Wechmar Homeland Society). And by no means should of course the Facebook page Wechmar "fall under the table". The most detailed information about Veit Bach – and certainly the most up-to-date – can probably be found on a page of my Bach Portal about the Thomas Cantor. There you can read in all detail many exciting things about the No. 1 of the musician family.
More about the Bach Place of Wechmar on "Bach on Bach" Websites
Of course, I took photos there, in the Bach location of Wechmar, but back then also a little bit in Günthersleben-Wechmar (... when Günthersleben and Wechmar were still one place). And you can have a look at these photos now with one click here. In addition, there is – almost as a matter of course – a small and short video about this Bach ancestral place, and that ... with one click here (... and then, on the clicked page, scroll down a bit ). And you can also expect special things in connection with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach: First, choose a musical work by the master (... in the red navigation). Then click on the "> button" to the perfect topic or add the "Photo series Bach location Wechmar". However ... it has to be this order. Otherwise ... it does not work. So first choose the piece of music, then the photo route.
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