The Weimar settlement emerged around the count's wooden castle and two small churches, dedicated to St Peter (which later became the main church), and to St James, respectively. In 1240, the count founded the dynasty's monastery in Oberweimar, which ran under Cistercian nuns. Soon after, the counts of Weimar founded the town, which was an independent parish since 1249 and called "civitas" in 1254. From 1262 the citizens used their own seal. The regional influence of the Weimar counts was declining as the influence of the Wettins in Thuringia increased. Hence, the new small town was relatively marginal in a regional context, also due to the fact that it was located far from relevant trade routes, such as the Via Regia. The settlement around St James Church developed into a suburb during the 13th century.