Grand Duke Charles Augustus of Saxe-Weimar was a German nobleman born on September 2, 1818. He became the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach in 1848 and ruled until his death in 1894. His reign is noted for promoting culture, education, and the arts, making Weimar a center of intellectual life in Germany. Charles Augustus was a patron of famous figures such as the writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and the composer Richard Wagner. He played a significant role in the development of the Weimar Classicism movement, which emphasized harmony and balance in literature and art.