Als Hausmannstürme bezeichnet man Burg-, Schloss- oder Kirchtürme, in denen sich Türmerstuben oder auch Wohnungen für den Hausmann oder Türmer befanden, der die Stadt oder das Umland der Burg von oben überwachte. Hausmannsstuben wurden bereits im 16. Jahrhundert errichtet und befanden sich meist an der höchsten Stelle der Stadt oder im höchsten Turm einer Burg.

Die Hausmänner gehörten oft zur städtischen Wache und hatten die Aufgabe, die Stundenglocken zu läuten, oft auch nachts die Viertelstunden mit dem Horn anzuzeigen, Feinde anzukündigen und vor Feuer und Gefahr zu warnen. Die letzten Hausmänner verließen zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts ihre Posten in den Turmstuben, einige wenige aktive Türmer gibt es aber dennoch.

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Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (German: Dresdner Residenzschloss or Dresdner Schloss) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the residence of the electors (1547–1806) and kings (1806–1918) of Saxony of the Albertine line of the House of Wettin. It is known for the different architectural styles employed, from Baroque to Neo-renaissance.

Today, the residential castle is a museum complex that contains the Historic and New Green Vault, the Numismatic Cabinet, the Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs and the Dresden Armory with the Turkish Chamber. It also houses an art library and the management of the Dresden State Art Collections.

The original castle was a Romanesque keep, built around 1200. The Hausmannsturm was built at the beginning of the 15th century. From 1468 until 1480, the keep was extended by the master builder, Arnold von Westfalen, becoming an enclosed four-wing construction. In the middle of the 16th century, an addition was added in the Renaissance style.

After a major fire in 1701, Augustus II the Strong rebuilt much of the castle in the Baroque style. The collection rooms were created at this time in the western wing. The Silver Room, Heraldic Room and the Pretiosensaal were built from 1723–1726 and the Kaminzimmer, Juwelenzimmer (Jewel Room), Ivory Room and Bronze Room were built from 1727–1729.

The 800th anniversary of the House of Wettin, Saxony's ruling family, resulted in more rebuilding between 1889 and 1901. A Neo-renaissance renovation was undertaken, followed by various modernizations, such as in-floor heating and electric lights in 1914. On the outside of the Stallhof (Stall Courtyard), which links the castle complex with the adjacent Johanneum, the "Procession of Princes" was painted by the artist Wilhelm Walther. The 102-meter-long mural represents the history of the Wettins. Since it quickly faded, it was transferred to about 23,000 Meissen porcelain tiles between 1904 and 1907.

Most of the castle was reduced to a roofless shell during the February 13, 1945 bombing of Dresden in World War II. Three rooms of the Green Vault were destroyed. However, the collections survived, having been moved to safety at Königstein Fortress in the early years of the war.

For the first 15 years after the end of the Second World War, no attempt was made to rebuild the castle, except to install a temporary roof in 1946. Restoration began in the 1960s with the installation of new windows and has occurred rapidly since then. The castle's restoration was completed in 2013.

Dresden castle houses five museums, the Historic Green Vault and the New Green Vault, the Numismatic Cabinet, the Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs and the Dresden Armory with the Turkish Chamber.

Also accessible is an art library (Kunstbibliothek) with approximately 260,000 volumes of special literature on art history. The character of the holdings is closely related to the collecting focal points of the museums.

The Gallery of the Electors and the Hausmannsturm, once Dresden's largest tower, can be visited as well.

The Green Vault (Grünes Gewölbe) is a museum that contains the largest collection of treasures in Europe. Founded by Augustus II the Strong in 1723, it features a unique and rich variety of exhibits from the period of baroque to classicism. The museum consists of the Historic Green Vault (Historisches Grünes Gewölbe) and the New Green Vault (Neues Grünes Gewölbe).

The Historic Green Vault is known for its treasure chambers, and is itself a baroque work of art. The New Green Vault is more modern. The Historic Green Vault is located on the ground floor of the Dresden Castle and visits require an advance booking; admittance to the New Green Vault, which is on the second floor, is not limited.

The Numismatic Cabinet (Münzkabinett), with its nearly 300,000 pieces, is one of Dresden’s oldest museums, dating back to the early 16th century. It contains one of the largest universal collections in Europe. Its broad spectrum ranges from classical antiquity to present-day coins. Some 30,000 Saxon coins and medals represent different periods in Saxony's history. The collection also includes orders and insignia, bank notes and historic bonds, models, seals, minting dies for coins and medals, as well as minting machines and equipment.

The exhibition is open from April to October. It shows around 300 outstanding objects, which represent a cross-section of the various parts of the collection. The Numismatic Cabinet is also a center of scholarly research and has a public library of some 30,000 volumes.

The Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs (Kupferstich-Kabinett) shows work by renowned artists from numerous countries. There are approximately 515,000 objects by more than 20,000 artists across eight centuries. It holds drawings and prints by old masters such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Caspar David Friedrich, as well as later artists, like Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Pablo Picasso. Engravings by Martin Schongauer and woodcuts by Lucas Cranach the Elder are shown along with photographic works. There is also a collection of drawings and graphic art by Käthe Kollwitz.

Originating from weapons owned by Saxon Dukes and Electors, the Dresden Armory (Rüstkammer) owns one of the most valuable collections of weapons and armory in the world. The exhibition includes around 10,000 objects, including helmets, shields, swords, rapiers, daggers, sabres and maces, pistols and rifles, riding equipment and ceremonial clothes.

The Turkish Chamber (Türckische Cammer) is a separate collection within the Dresden Armory that is focused on art from the Ottoman Empire. It displays more than 600 objects of art from the Ottoman Empire, making it one of the oldest and most significant collections outside Turkey. Between the 16th and the 19th centuries, the electors of Saxony, motivated by their passion for collecting and their desire for princely prestige, amassed a wealth of "turquerie".

Dresden Castle

The Zwinger (German: Dresdner Zwinger, IPA: [ˈdʁeːzdnɐ ˈt͡svɪŋɐ]) is a palace in the eastern German city of Dresden, built in Baroque style and designed by court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann. It served as the orangery, exhibition gallery and festival arena of the Dresden Court.

The location was formerly part of the Dresden fortress of which the outer wall is conserved. The name derives from the German word Zwinger (an enclosed killing ground in front of a castle or city gate); it was for the cannons that were placed between the outer wall and the major wall. The Zwinger was not enclosed until the Neoclassical building by Gottfried Semper called the Semper Gallery was built on its northern side.

Today, the Zwinger is a museum complex that contains the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister (Old Masters Picture Gallery), the Dresden Porcelain Collection (Dresdener Porzellansammlung) and the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon (Royal Cabinet of Mathematical and Physical Instruments).

The Zwinger covers an area on the northwestern edge of the Innere Altstadt ("inner old town") that is part of the historic heart of Dresden. It is located in the immediate vicinity of other famous sights, including Dresden Palace and the Semperoper opera house. The Zwinger is bounded by Sophienstraße in the southeast, Postplatz in the south, Ostra-Allee in the southwest, the Am Zwingerteich road in the northwest and Theatre Square (Theaterplatz) in the east. Nearby buildings include the Dresden State Theatre to the southwest, the Haus am Zwinger to the south, the Taschenbergpalais hotel to the southeast, the west wing of the palace with its Green Vault to the east, the Altstädtische Hauptwache to the northeast, the Semper Opera to the north and the former royal stables to the northwest. Within view lie the Catholic Court Church and the Italian Village in Theatre Square, the Wilsdruffer Kubus on Postplatz and The Duchess Garden with the remnants of the former orangery building in the west. The terraced banks of the River Elbe are located 200 metres northeast of the Zwinger.

The name Zwinger goes back to the common medieval German term for that part of a fortification between the outer and inner defensive walls, or "outer ward". Archaeological evidence indicates that the construction of the first city wall took place in the last quarter of the 12th century. A documentary entry as civitas in 1216 points to the existence of an enclosed Dresden Fortification at that time. In 1427, during the Hussite Wars, work began on strengthening the city's defences and they were enhanced by a second - outer - wall. These improvements began near the Wildruffer Tor gate. Step by step the old moat had to be filled in and moved. The area between the two walls was generally referred to as the Zwinger and, in the vicinity of the castle, was utilised by the royal court at Dresden for garden purposes. The location of the so-called Zwingergarten from that period is only imprecisely known to be between the fortifications on the western side of the city. Its extent varied in places as a result of subsequent improvements to the fortifications and is depicted differently on the various maps.

This royal Zwingergarten, a garden used to supply the court, still fulfilled one of its functions, as indicated by the name, as a narrow defensive area between the outer and inner defensive walls. This was no longer the case when work on the present-day Zwinger palace began in the early 18th century, nevertheless the name was transferred to the new building. Admittedly the southwestern parts of the building of the baroque Dresden Zwinger including the Kronentor gate stand on parts of the outer curtain wall that are still visible today; but there is no longer any trace of the inner wall.

Until well into the 16th century, the area of the present-day Zwinger complex was still outside the city fortifications. Close by ran an old stretch of the River Weißeritz that no longer exists, which emptied into the Elbe by the Old Castle. In 1569, major work began on redevelopment and new buildings by the fortifications west of the castle based on plans by master builder, Rochus Quirin, Count of Lynar, who came from Florence. The embankments needed in the area of the river confluence proved to be a major challenge. In spring 1570 the Weißeritz caused severe flood damage at an embankment, which hampered the building project for a short time. Then, in 1572, the rebuilding work by the fortifications came to a temporary halt.

Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, returned from a grand tour through France and Italy in 1687–89, just at the moment that Louis XIV moved his court to Versailles. On his return to Dresden, having arranged his election as King of Poland (1697), he wanted something similarly spectacular for himself. The fortifications were no longer needed and provided readily available space for his plans. The original plans, as developed by his court architect Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann before 1711, covered the space of the present complex of palace and garden, and also included as gardens the space down to the Elbe River, upon which the Semper opera house and its square were built in the nineteenth century.

The Zwinger was designed by Pöppelmann and constructed in stages from 1710 to 1728. Sculpture was provided by Balthasar Permoser. The Zwinger was formally inaugurated in 1719, on the occasion of the electoral prince Frederick August’s marriage to the daughter of the Habsburg emperor, the Archduchess Maria Josepha. At the time, the outer shells of the buildings had already been erected and, with their pavilions and arcaded galleries, formed a striking backdrop to the event. It was not until the completion of their interiors in 1728, however, that they could serve their intended functions as exhibition galleries and library halls.

The death of Augustus in 1733 put a halt to the construction because the funds were needed elsewhere. The palace area was left open towards the Semperoper square (Theatre Square) and the river. Later the plans were changed to a smaller scale, and in 1847–1855 the area was closed by the construction of the gallery wing now separating the Zwinger from the Theatre Square. The architect of this building, later named Semper Gallery, was Gottfried Semper, who also designed the opera house.

The building was mostly destroyed by the carpet bombing raids of 13–15 February 1945. The art collection had been previously evacuated, however. Reconstruction, supported by the Soviet military administration, began in 1945; parts of the restored complex were opened to the public in 1951. By 1963 the Zwinger had largely been restored to its pre-war state.

Zwinger (Dresden)

Dresden's Großer Garten - or "Great Garden" - is a public park that was first established in 1676 by the future Elector Johann Georg III as a hunting ground. It was located outside the walls of the city, just to the southwest of the city centre. It's centrepiece is a maison de plaisance simply known as the Palais im Großen Garten - or Palace in the Great Garden.

The palace is considered one of the first secular buildings built in Saxony after the Thirty Years' War and is thus an early example of Baroque architecture in what today is Germany. Its facade actually mixes French Baroque and the architecture of the late-Renaissance palaces of Genoa. It was Elector Johann Georg III who commissioned the palace in 1678, two years after establishing the Great Garden. The exterior of the summer palace was completed in 1683 after designs by Johann Georg Starcke, the interior was finished in 1690. At the same time, major changes were made to the Great Garden adding several cavalier houses.

Elector Johann Georg III did not have a lot of time to enjoy his pleasure palace as he died a year after it was finished. His older son, Johann Georg IV, also only reigned for three years. The next Elector - Johann Georg III's second son - did go on to rule Saxony for many years though: Friedrich August I, better known as August the Strong who was not just the Saxon Elector but also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania as August II. For the first almost three decades of his reign, the Palais im Großen Garten became the the lavish backdrop for the many festivities organised by the absolutist monarch, among them parts of the celebrations of the wedding of his son Friedrich August and Archduchess Maria Josepha of Austria in 1719.

During the 1720's the Palais fell out of favour in favour of other Saxon palaces, such as the Zwinger. Planned renovation works were thus never carried out. In 1729, August the Strong moved his collection of antiques, he had purchased a year earlier in Rome, into the palace. The antiques remained in the palace for a good twenty years and still form an integral part of the sculpture collection of the Dresden State Art Collections.

After the antiques were moved out of the palace, it fell into further disrepair and was damaged during the Seven Years' War by Prussian troops after Saxony had sided with the Habsburgs. Julius Heinrich Schwarze was commissioned to rebuild the palace. Another war once again damaged the Palais: This time around it were Napoleon's troops who devastated the site during the Battle of Dresden in 1813. Even before the palace was rebuilt, Prince Nikolai Grigoryevich Repnin-Volkonsky, a general in the Imperial Russian Army and Governor-General (Viceroy) in Saxony, decided to open the Great Garden to the general public.

And it has been open ever since. In the following decades, the Palais was first used by a horticultural society who also organised exhibitions at the palace and later by the Royal Saxon Society of Antiquities showcasing religious art. For a time, there was also a permanent exhibition dedicated to the life and work of Ernst Friedrich August Rietschel, a German sculptor. During the late 19th and early 20th century, the Great Garden and the palace were the site of different horticultural shows. 

In 1945, the building burned out completely after it was hit during an aerial bombardment. Reconstructions started in the mid 1950's and by 1969 the palace's exterior was almost completely rebuilt though there was no usage for it during the following two decades. Another good twenty years passed before a partial reconstruction of the interior started in 1990 after German reunification. Efforts to further reconstruct the palace to its former glory are still being made.  


https://www.castleholic.com

Palais im Grossen Garten

Albrechtsberg Palace or Albrechtsberg Castle (German: Schloss Albrechtsberg) is a Neoclassical stately home above the Elbe river in the Loschwitz district of Dresden. It was erected in 1854 according to plans designed by the Prussian court and landscaping architect Adolf Lohse (1807–1867) at the behest of Prince Albert, younger brother of the Prussian king Frederick William IV.

About 1803 James Ogilvy, 7th Earl of Findlater had acquired several vineyards in the Dresden Elbe Valley and had a manor house built on what later became the site of Albrechtsberg Palace. However, Ogilvy died in 1811 and did not witness its completion. Johann Gabriel Krebs bought the country house and rebuilt it into a restaurant that became the most popular day trip restaurant of Dresden, abode of Gottfried Semper and Richard Wagner.

Prince Albert of Prussia (1809–1872) in 1853 had secondly married Rosalie von Rauch, Countess of Hohenau (1820–1879); due to this morganatic marriage he was forced to leave the Prussian court and had to look for a new home abroad. He commissioned his chamberlain's wife, Baroness of Stockhausen to find an adequate domicile. She turned to the Saxon capital and acquired the area “Findlater's Vineyard”, including the manor and gardens, by order of the Prince for 16,000 Thalers.

Adolf Lohse, a student of Karl Friedrich Schinkel, designed the plans for the present-day castle. For the gardens, the Prince engaged the Prussian landscape architect Eduard Neide (1818–1883) who created the plan, though the court gardener Hermann Sigismund Neumann (1829–1880) accomplished them. Before Albrechtsberg, the adjacent Villa Stockhausen was completed. The villa was originally established for the chamberlain, but was used for the first year as domicile of the Prince and his wife. 1854 the castle was accomplished and the couple moved in.

After Prince Albrecht and Rosalie had died, their younger son Count Frederick of Hohenau (1857–1914) lived in the castle until his death, whereafter his elder brother Wilhelm (1854–1930) took over the residence. In 1925 Wilhelm finally had to sell the castle and the territory because of gambling debts. The new owner was the City of Dresden. After 1930, the gardens were opened for the public and redesigned as a recreational area for the citizens of Dresden under Mayor Wilhelm Külz.

During World War II the premises were used by the SA, whilst from 1943 the castle was used as a children’s home. All the three Elbe castles were spared from the Bombing of Dresden, however occupied by the Red Army, with depredations and damages as the consequences. In 1948 the City of Dresden had to sell the castle to the Foreign Economic Trade Ministry of the Soviet Union. The castle was renovated by the architect Koeckritz. After the redecoration the castle was opened as a hotel called “Intourist.” In 1951, the East German Jugendheim GmbH Berlin repurchased the castle, and since 1952 the City of Dresden is once again the owner. The building was used as a Pioneers Palace by the Ernst Thälmann Pioneer Organisation.

In 1977 the castle was declared a historic monument. The step by step restoration continues to this day. In 1991 the “Hotel- und Gastättenschule Schloss Albrechtsberg GmbH” began operating in the castle. Today, the entire castle and grounds can be rented for special events. The operator of the castle since 1999 is the “Konzert- und Kongressgesellschaft mbH Dresden”.

Adolf Lohse designed the castle in a late Neoclassical style that was very characteristic for the mid 19th century. During the interior completion just the most high class materials were used, for example marble, the most kingly wood and the white sandstone from Saxony. Deciding for the composition was the style of the classicism. For this style, especially important is the Grecian and Roman antiquity; the Italian Renaissance and its traditionally application. The guide for the composition of the castle was the Ville d'Este close to Rome.

For the creation of the park, the Prussia garden architect Eduard Neide 1818-1883 was engaged. However, the court gardener Hermann Sigismund Neumann carried them out. Under the management of the court gardener, four landscapes were created. Those were crossed by curved alleys that are go over bridges and a viaduct. These alleys passe applied ponds, rocks and a waterfall.

Today, the HOGA Albrechtsberg castle is used as a private hotel and catering school. HOGA is the short cut for the German words Hotel and Gastronomie. Gudrun Lamm and Regina Kirschstein founded the school 1991. HOGA trained students for the exalted gastronomy.

The school offers a unique education model in Germany. Students are able to do their Abitur with a job at the job-related Gymnasium but this is just one of the few different school educations that are available at this school. In addition, students can go to Middle school, they can get general university qualification or they can go to the job – related Gymnasium. Furthermore, students can do their initial training as Hotel expert, Restaurant expert or a cook. Besides, students can receive a further education to a business economist; they can receive the college qualification in welfare or the education to a hotel assistant.

The castle is also available to rent for private ore business events. All in all, there are ten halls and saloons, a sun patio and a park scenery that are available for renting.

Albrechtsberg Palace (Dresden)

Pillnitz Castle (German: Schloss Pillnitz) is a restored Baroque palace at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the bank of the River Elbe in the former village of Pillnitz. Pillnitz Castle was the summer residence of many electors and kings of Saxony; it is also known for the Declaration of Pillnitz in 1791.

The Pillnitz Castle complex consists of three main buildings, the Riverside Palace (Wasserpalais) on the riverfront; the Upper Palace (Bergpalais) on the hillside, both Baroque with Chinoiserie elements; and the later Neoclassical New Palace (Neues Palais), which links them together on the east side. The buildings enclose a Baroque garden and are surrounded by a large public park.

Today, the palace houses the Arts and Crafts Museum (Kunstgewerbemuseum) of the Dresden State Art Collections and a Palace Museum (Schlossmuseum).

As early as the 14th century, a modest residential fortress existed on the site of today' castle. It was enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries to a four-winged building. The château was acquired by the Wettin dynasty in 1694 when Elector John George IV of Saxony bought it as a present for his mistress, Magdalena Sibylla of Neidschutz. Both died soon afterwards. In 1706, John George's brother Augustus II the Strong gave the facilities to one of his numerous mistresses, Anna Constantia of Brockdorff, only to rescind the gift after she fled to Berlin in 1715. Augustus II then ordered the château to be converted into an oriental summer palace for riverside festivities, necessitating extensive rebuilding.

Starting in 1720, the first church and buildings were replaced by elaborate Baroque palaces designed by Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and Zacharias Longuelune. First, in 1720/21, the Riverside Palace (Wasserpalais) was constructed on the river bank to plans by Pöppelmann. The upper staircase built on the Elbe side in 1722 was supplemented in 1725 by water stairs forming a gondola dock, designed by the French architect Zacharias Longuelune. In 1723/24, an almost identical complement to the Riverside Palace, the Upper Palace (Bergpalais), was completed. At the same time, a garden was laid out between the two palaces. Construction continued until 1725, with a focus on the Chinoiserie style. Augustus apparently then lost interest in his renovated palace, shifting his focus to other locations.

In 1765, Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, a greatgrandson of Augustus the Strong, made Pillnitz his summer residence. At the time, an English garden with an English Pavilion, a Chinese garden with a Chinese Pavilion and an artificial ruin were added. When the Countess' palace at Pillnitz Castle burnt down in 1818, Frederick Augustus asked his architect, Christian Friedrich Schuricht, to design a new palace at the same location. The Neoclassical New Palace (Neues Palais) was completed in 1826.

Pillnitz Castle was used as the summer residence of the House of Wettin until 1918.

The main buildings are the Upper Palace (Bergpalais), built between 1722 and 1723, and the Riverside Palace (Wasserpalais), built between 1720 and 1721. The Riverside Palace has elegant steps down to the river. The two are connected on the east side by the New Palace (Neues Palais), built in Neoclassical style between 1819 and 1826 after the Countess' palace burnt down in 1818. The New Palace contains the royal kitchen and a Catholic chapel. The roofs and moldings in each of the buildings exemplify the Oriental-influenced style fashionable during that period.

Today, the New Palace contains the Palace Museum (Schlossmuseum) with a permanent exhibition presenting its eventful history as a former royal Saxon summer residence. It houses the only neo-classical domed hall in Dresden, opened in 1823. The royal kitchen shows “cooking machines” and original copper pots and pans in its reconstructed historical setting. Here, approximately 27 employees prepared meals for the royal family and their entourage. The Catholic chapel in the eastern wing of the New Palace is also part of the Palace Museum. Its multiple frescos by the court painter, Carl Christian Vogel von Vogelstein, depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary.

The Upper Palace and Riverside Palace house the Arts and Crafts Museum (Kunstgewerbemuseum) of the Dresden State Art Collections. It exhibits furniture, ceramics and other objects from the 13th to the 20th century, including the throne of Augustus II. Some of the exhibition rooms retain the original decoration.

The visitor center is located in the Alte Wache (Old Guardhouse), a small building east of the New Palace.

The buildings surround a Baroque flower garden, whose centrepiece is a pond with a large fountain. From this, a chestnut-lined allée approximately 500 metres (1,600 feet) long runs parallel to the river bank, flanked by small rectangular hedged parterres.

The 28-hectare park surrounding the main buildings contains botanical attractions from all over the world. Among them is a camellia tree more than 230 years old – one of the oldest in Europe. Legend has it that Carl Peter Thunberg brought it from Kyoto to Kew Gardens in 1776. The Camellia japonica was planted in its current location in 1801. It extends 8.9 metres (29 feet) and, from February to April, produces up to 35,000 blooms. During wintertime, the tree is protected by a glass house on rails.

The park also features a late 18th century English garden with an English pavilion, a Chinese pavilion, a conifer garden and an orangery. The English pavilion, built in 1780, is a copy of Donato Bramante's Tempietto in Rome. It is located next to a pond in the English garden. A statue with the head of Juno Ludovisi, a replica from the Roman marble head of the 1st century A.D. that is now in the National Museum of Rome, was placed on the pond's island in the English Garden in the 19th century. In 1804, the Chinese Pavilion was erected on the northern edge of the park. While the Chinese elements of the castle are only decorations, this small pavilion was built in the authentic Chinese style. The paintings on the walls inside depict actual Chinese landscapes.

Also shown is a replica of the red royal gondola which Frederick Augustus I used for transport between his residence in Dresden, the royal palace, and his country seat in Pillnitz. Together with its green counterpart, the original red gondola was built under the supervision of the architect Christian Friedrich Schuricht around 1800. Deterioration of both gondolas required a restoration in 1954, when this replica was built by using parts from both boats.

The palm house was built between 1859 and 1861. Covering 660 square metres and 93.7 m (307 ft) in length, it was the largest greenhouse in Germany at the time. After extensive restoration completed in 2009, it now contains plants from Australia and South Africa.

Pillnitz Castle is also harmoniously integrated with the natural setting of the Elbe valley and the surrounding hills and vineyards.

In 1723, Augustus II the Strong asked his architect, Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann, to build the country Church of the Holy Spirit east of the castle. Due to its location in the middle of vineyards, it is also known as the Vineyard church (Weinbergkirche).

Around 1780, the valley to the northeast of the castle, called Friedrichsgrund (Frederick valley), was landscaped for Frederick Augustus I to take walks. It features many small stone bridges and other small decorative buildings that can still be seen today from the path to the former watermill, the Meixmühle.

As was fashionable in German interpretations of Baroque and English gardens, in 1785, an artificial ruin was built on a hilltop, north of the castle. Its Gothic Revival architecture was meant to contrast with the Baroque style of the castle, its expression of the fleeting vanity of life with the pleasurable nature of the castle gardens.



Pillnitz Castle

Moritzburg Castle (German: Schloss Moritzburg) or Moritzburg Palace is a Baroque palace in Moritzburg, in the German state of Saxony, about 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) northwest of the Saxon capital, Dresden. The castle has four round towers and lies on a symmetrical artificial island. It is named after Duke Moritz of Saxony, who had a hunting lodge built there between 1542 and 1546. The surrounding woodlands and lakes have been a favourite hunting area of the electors and kings of Saxony.

The original castle, built from 1542–1546, was a hunting lodge for Moritz of Saxony, then Duke of Saxony. Elector John George II of Saxony had the lodge extended; the chapel was added between 1661 and 1671. Designed by his architect, Wolf Caspar von Klengel, the chapel is an example of early Baroque architecture.

The chapel was consecrated in a Catholic rite in 1697, after the grandson of John George II, Elector Augustus II the Strong, converted to Catholicism in order to secure his election as King of Poland. Between 1723 and 1733, Augustus had the castle remodelled as a country seat by architects Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and Zacharias Longuelune, adding a formal park, several ponds and a game preserve.

The surroundings of the castle were further developed by Elector Frederick Augustus III of Saxony, a greatgrandson of Augustus II the Strong, at the end of the 18th century. The Little Pheasant Castle (Fasanenschlösschen) was built between 1770 and 1776. The grounds were extended to include a building for the storage of bird nets, the large Well of Venus, living quarters for Count Camillo Marcolini and a maritime setting on the Great Lake complete with a miniature harbour with jetty and lighthouse.

Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony, who lived in the castle between 1933 and 1945, was the last resident of the House of Wettin. He was dispossessed in 1945 by the postwar Soviet administration.

The interior of the castle is furnished with examples of opulent baroque decor from the time of Augustus the Strong. The walls are covered in 17th century gold-gilded leather. Many rooms' furnishings are dedicated to courtly hunting.

The collection of red deer antlers is one of the most important of its kind. The castle's largest collection of antlers is shown in the Speisesaal ("dining room"). Most of its 71 trophies are between 270 and 400 years old; they were purchased or acquired as presents. Among them is the heaviest red deer antler in the world, weighing 19.8 kilograms (44 lb) and spanning almost 2 metres (6.6 ft). In the Monströsensaal ("monstrosity room"), there are 39 contorted antlers. One specimen, a 66-point red deer antler is from an animal killed by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg in 1696.

In 1723, Augustus the Strong acquired a four-poster bed for his Japanese palace. It had approximately a million peacock, pheasant, guinea hen and duck feathers woven into the canvas. Rather than gluing or tying the feathers onto the canvas, they were woven in as weft. Upon acquisition, Augustus had the curtains removed and turned into wall hangings, inspiring the room's name, Federzimmer, or "feather room". This ensemble was moved to Schloss Moritzburg in 1830. Following an extensive 19-year restoration, the bed and wall hangings have been on view again since 2003.

Examples of Chinese, Japanese and Meissen porcelain are shown in the historical Porzellanquartier ("porcelain quarter"). This exhibition displays porcelain depicting hunting, exotic and mythological motifs as well as animal figurines that are relating to Moritzburg’s original determination as a hunting lodge.

The apartments contain examples of opulence in the lacquered and ornate furniture, such as the Augsburg-made silver furniture styled after Louis XIV's silver furniture at Versailles. There are also engraved and inlaid weapons for hunting. The Billiardsaal ("billiards hall"), named after a former billiard table in it, contains monumental paintings on leather by Louis de Silvestre. Eleven rooms are decorated with painted leather wallpaper from the 17th century.

A collection of royal carriages is shown in the entrance hall.

In 1728, a park was added to the castle on the adjacent land to the north. The u-shaped park has an area of approximately 230 by 150 meters. The gardens are in the French style and, because of the death of Augustus the Strong, were never completed. Johann Christian Daniel, Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann and others were involved in their initial design and planning. The garden's layout follows that of other European royal courts of the time.

During the 19th century, there were rare plants added and the garden was developed into a park in the romantic style.

An 8-arm, star-shaped system of alleys was cut through the Friedewald, the forest on the northern side of the property. In particular, it was designed for royal fox hunting with hounds. The ruins of the Hellhaus ("glade house"), built in 1787 and designed by Johann Daniel Schade, can be found on a raised point at the intersection of the paths. It served the court hunting parties because from here, the so-called "swan keeper" would indicate the direction of flight of the game they hunted. This was done using flags, which he would raise from the top of the building.

One alley running directly east, visually connects the castle with the Fasanenschlösschen ("Little Pheasant Castle"), 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) away. Not far from the Fasanenschlösschen is the Well of Venus, one of the largest Baroque fountains in Saxony. It symbolizes the eastern end of a canal, which runs parallel to this corridor most of the time.

During the reconstruction phase of the palace from 1723 until 1733, the large pond surrounding the castle’s artificial island was built from what was originally four smaller ponds. The other ponds in the Friedewald date from the 16th century and have been used for carp production since then. The channels connecting the ponds allow one to "fish" the carp by draining the water.

Shortly after the remodelling of Moritzburg Castle as the country seat of August the Strong, a single-story pavilion was built just 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) away by the architect Johann Christoph Knöffel. The pavilion's foundation was later used for the Chinese-style Little Pheasant Castle (Fasanenschlösschen) in 1770. Elector Frederick Augustus III of Saxony had the pavilion built in the middle of the gardens. Johann Daniel Schade who had been the architect in charge of the royal building projects, received the commission for the Rococo design. Construction was completed about 1776.

The shell-pink pavilion is located at the end of an alley leading to the main castle. The square building has five bays wide on each side. The high roof has an ogee profile, capped by an open cupola with a pair of Chinese figures under a parasol as a finial. Concealed behind plantings to give the pavilion an isolated ambience, were outbuildings used to breed pheasants for use in hunting.

The few rooms, including the elector's study, are furnished with original trappings. The Rococo finishes include murals on canvas, inlaid wood paneling, painted and gilded stucco ceilings, and unique finishes crafted from materials like embroidered silk, straw, pearls and feathers. The interiors were restored between 2009 and 2013 through a collaboration between Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung, Sparkasse Meißen, and World Monuments Fund.

On the front of the building, there is a double-flight stairway leading to the lake with a miniature harbour and jetty. There is also a painted brick lighthouse 21.8 metres (72 feet) high. The miniature harbour was used to stage naval battles for the monarch's amusement. In order to re-enact the famous Battle of Chesma, the Dardanelles, a miniature wall representing the original castles at the narrow strait in northwestern Turkey, were also built. Today, the harbour is partly silted because the lake’s water level is approximately 1.5 metres (4.9 feet) lower than before.

On the garden side of the castle, a pair of staircases descend to a sunken parterre, now planted with turf.

In 1972 Moritzburg Castle was one of the locations of the Czechoslovak-German film Tři oříšky pro Popelku ("Three Nuts for Cinderella"), which became a popular fairy-tale movie in Central Europe.

Moritzburg Castle

Der Barockgarten Großsedlitz mit dem Friedrichschlösschen liegt auf einer Anhöhe des linken Elbufers südöstlich von Dresden in Großsedlitz, das zur Stadt Heidenau im Freistaat Sachsen gehört. Der Ort liegt auf einer Hochfläche zwischen den Tälern der Müglitz im Westen und der Seidewitz im Osten, die einen Ausläufer des Osterzgebirges darstellt. Von dort hat man einen Blick auf den Elbtalkessel.

Der etwa 18 Hektar große Garten gilt als überragendes Beispiel für französische Gartenbaukunst in Sachsen; er ist einer der authentischsten Barockgärten Deutschlands und zählt zu den bedeutendsten Werken des Dresdner Barock, dessen drei führende Architekten ihn gestalteten. Bemerkenswert ist auch die Vielzahl an Pomeranzen, welche die Architektur des terrassenförmigen Gartenraumes unterstreichen.

Geschichte

Der Barockgarten wurde 1719 bis 1723 vom Reichsgrafen August Christoph von Wackerbarth als Landsitz mit Orangerie erbaut (erst wurde 1720 das Schloss, dann 1721 die Obere Orangerie fertiggestellt). Dieser hatte das niedergebrannte Rittergut bereits 1715 erworben. Der Baumeister des einst dreiflügeligen Schlosses in französisch-klassizistischem Barockstil ist unbekannt. Entwürfe von Pöppelmann, Longuelune und Knöffel für die Anlage sind bekannt. Bis 1720 errichtete man den Rohbau; eine Entwurfsplanung von Knöffel ist wahrscheinlich, jedoch nicht belegt.

Bereits 1723 erwarb Kurfürst August der Starke das Anwesen, wobei wegen der angespannten Finanzlage des Kurfürstentums und dem Haushaltsrecht der Landstände der Ankauf noch bis 1726 geheimgehalten wurde. Wackerbarth, der das Amt des Oberaufsehers des militärischen und zivilen Bauwesens im Kurfürstentum ausübte, trat daher zunächst auch weiterhin als privater Bauherr in Erscheinung. Die Anlage wurde gartenbaulich und architektonisch bis 1727 erweitert. Ein ursprünglich geplantes kastellartiges Schloss wurde nie errichtet.1727 wurden die Baumaßnahmen am Schloss und 1732 an der Gartenanlage gestoppt, da August der Starke sein Interesse an dem Schloss verlor.

Während Schloss Pillnitz für höfische Vergnügungsveranstaltungen und Ausflüge diente und Schloss Moritzburg der Abhaltung großer Hofjagden, sollte Großsedlitz zum Ordensschloss für die Stiftungsfeste des polnischen Weißen-Adler-Ordens werden. Am 3. August 1727, seinem Jahrestag, begann August der Starke dieses eintägige Fest zum ersten und einzigen Mal in Großsedlitz. Nach dem Ableben Augusts 1733 führte sein Sohn, Kurfürst Friedrich August II., seit 1734 als König von Polen August III., diese Tradition weiter. Zwischen 1740 und 1756 fanden diese Festlichkeiten noch zwölfmal hier statt. Höhepunkt war dabei jedes Mal das Preisschießen im Unteren Orangerieparterre; als Zielscheiben dienten bemalte Tafeln an der Rückwand des Bassins der „Stillen Musik“.

Die Anlage verfiel nach 1750. Schwere Schäden brachte insbesondere der Siebenjährige Krieg (1756–1763), in dem Großsedlitz zeitweise als Hauptlager der Preußischen Armee diente; dabei wurde das Schloss stark beschädigt. Beim Friedensschluss 1763 war auch der Garten infolge der militärischen Einquartierungen verwüstet. Auch in den Koalitionskriegen (1792–1815) wurden der Park und insbesondere die Baulichkeiten schwer beschädigt. Frühe Sicherungsarbeiten erstreckten sich in der Regierungszeit König Johanns über einen langen Zeitraum von 1846 bis 1878. Die Untere Orangerie wurde modernisiert und erhielt zusätzlich eine Warmluftheizung. Den verbliebenen hinfälligen Baukörper des Schlosses riss man 1871 ab und errichtete in den Folgejahren ein zweigeschossiges Neues Schloss an der Stelle des ursprünglichen Ostflügels, später Friedrichschlösschen genannt.

Bis zum Jahre 1928 waren in beiden Orangerien noch Kübelpflanzen untergebracht, die teilweise sogar noch aus der Zeit Augusts den Starken stammten. Im Winter 1928/1929 erfror der gesamte Pflanzenbestand.

Teilbereiche der Anlage des Barockgartens werden Johann Christoph Knöffel zugeschrieben. Plastiken stammen von Johann Christian Kirchner; einige andere schreibt man Johann Benjamin Thomae zu. Viele weitere Figuren lassen sich hinsichtlich ihrer Bildhauer nicht mehr bestimmen. Aufgrund der leichten Hanglage wurde der Barockpark terrassenförmig angelegt. Seine Struktur folgt den Gartenbauprinzipen eines französischen Gartens, Baulichkeiten und Skulpturen sind qualitätvolle Beispiele des Dresdner Barocks zur Zeit Augusts des Starken. Als Lustgarten wurde die Anlage bis 1763 für Festlichkeiten des Dresdner Hofes genutzt. Der Garten blieb im westlichen Teil unvollendet und wurde auch in den folgenden Jahrhunderten kaum verändert.

Das Haupteingangstor des Barockgartens ist eine verhältnismäßig junge Anlage. Es wurde 1960 vom Vorhof des alten Landhauses in Dresden (heute Stadtmuseum) hierher umgesetzt. Die Toranlage entstand in der Zeit von 1960 bis 1963. Die Delphinbrunnen im Eingangsbereich sind das Werk von Johann Christian Feige.

Gebäude

Die heute noch erhaltenen originalen Barockgebäude sind die Obere und die Untere Orangerie. Das Friedrichschlösschen wurde im 19. Jahrhundert dem Dresdner Barock nachempfunden und 1847 nach Plänen des Hofbaumeisters Bernhard Krüger fertiggestellt. Es verkörpert den ehemaligen Ostflügel des von 1719 bis 1720 errichteten und 1871 wegen Baufälligkeit abgerissenen dreiflügeligen Schlosses.

Die Obere Orangerie wurde, wie auch das ursprüngliche Schloss, für den damaligen Eigentümer Wackerbarth von 1720 bis 1721 nach Plänen von Johann Christoph Knöffel als beheizbarer Zweckbau zur winterlichen Aufnahme von Orangenbäumchen erbaut. Sie ist eingeschossig und hat 23 Fensterachsen sowie an beiden Seiten Eckpavillons mit hohen Mansarddächern. Der Dreiecksgiebel in der Mittelachse ist mit dem Wappen des Grafen Wackerbarth geschmückt. Die ebenfalls eingeschossige Untere Orangerie wurde 1727 nach einem Entwurf von Zacharias Longuelune fertiggestellt; sie ist durch 31 Fensterachsen und eine gelungene Integration in die Terrassenstruktur des Gartens charakterisiert.

Das Friedrichschlösschen beherbergt heute eine historische Gaststätte, die Obere Orangerie ein Standesamt und ein Geschäft. Die Obere und die Untere Orangerie werden für Konzerte und Ausstellungen genutzt; die Untere Orangerie dient darüber hinaus ihrem ursprünglichen Zweck als Winterquartier für die Kübelpflanzen des Gartens.

Barockgarten

Das nach einer Nordwest-Südost-Achse ausgerichtete Parkareal umfasst heute etwa 18 Hektar. Obwohl niemals vollendet, ist die Anlage eine der authentischsten Barockgärten Deutschlands. Der Garten ist durch eine Hanglage mit Terrassierung, Freitreppen und Kaskaden charakterisiert, mit Sichtachsen für Landschaftsausblicke. Während die Ausbreitung einer Gartenanlage in der weiten Ebene oder eine starke Strukturierung von Höhenlagen durch Terrassierung dem Ideal der Gartenbaukunst dieser Zeit durchaus entspricht, ist die Anlage des Gartens als sanfte Talmulde in Höhenlage mit Ausblicken eine Seltenheit.

Das geometrische Wegenetz orientiert sich an den drei Hauptachsen der Anlage. Ursprünglich war eine weitaus größere Ausdehnung der Parkanlage geplant. Denn zum einen führen die hohen Alleebaumpflanzungen über die heutigen Grenzen des Gartens hinaus und zum anderen sprach die Lage des alten, zweiflügeligen Schlosses und der dazugehörigen Hofanlage für eine andere Symmetrieachse. Auf einem Plan von 1732 ist eine spiegelbildliche Wiederholung des Unteren Orangerieparterre jenseits der Mittelachse zu erkennen, die auf die Obere Orangerie zuführt; dieses zweite Gartenparterre, das ebenfalls von Bosketts umrahmt sein sollte, wurde niemals ausgeführt.

Das in der östlichen Parkseite befindliche Untere Orangerieparterre bildete den Festsaal des Gartens; hier fand u. a. das Preisschießen statt. Die in der Art einer Arena leicht abgesenkte, U-förmige Anlage wird auf der Nordseite von der Unteren Orangerie begrenzt, im Süden schließt sich eine eigenwillige Treppenanlage an. Diese Freitreppe, aufgrund der sie schmückenden musizierenden Putten „Stille Musik“ genannt, wurde vermutlich vom Zwingerbaumeister Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann entworfen. Hier umgreifen zwei geschwungene Stufenläufe eine Stützmauer, die sich über einem Bassin mit drei Fontänen erhebt. Bei Preisschießen wurden hier die Zielscheiben aufgestellt. Im Halbrund oberhalb dieser Treppenanlage befinden sich Figuren von Juno und Jupiter, von Figuren der Jahreszeiten gerahmt.

Im westlichen Teil des Gartens verkörpert die Waldkaskade mit einem als „Steinernes Meer“ bezeichneten oberen Bassin die Intention, eine „Wasserachse“ als lebendigsten Teil des Gartens zu schaffen. Sie blieb jedoch unvollendet, ebenso wie das am tiefsten Punkt befindliche Parterre d’eau und die von den Stützmauern des Oberen Orangerieparterres umfassten beiden Wasserstufen. Am Rand des oberen Kaskadebeckens stehen die Personifizierungen der vier Erdteile. Südlich von dieser Gruppe sind die Elemente Feuer und Wasser ebenso wie Luft und Erde dargestellt. Bemerkenswert sind auch die Liebespaare der antiken Mythologie, die oberhalb des Eisbeckens ihre Aufstellung gefunden haben: Ceyx und Alkyone, Meleager und Atalante, Apollo und Daphne, Narcissus und Echo, Orpheus und Eurydike, Pan und Syrinx, Amor und Psyche sowie Bacchus und Ariadne, alle von Johann Benjamin Thomae.

Grosssedlitz Baroque Garden

Schloss Weesenstein is a Schloss located in Weesenstein (de), a small village, part of Müglitztal in the Müglitz river valley, around 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Dohna in Saxony, Germany.

A castle was erected here sometime around 1200, built with the purpose of defending the border to the Kingdom of Bohemia; it was mentioned in written sources for the first time in 1318. The oldest part of the presently visible castle is its central round tower, erected sometime around 1300. The castle was built for the burgraves of Dohna; the burgraviate was incorporated in the Margraviate of Meissen in 1400 and in 1406 the castle was transferred by the margrave to the von Bünau family in gratitude for their support in the Dohna Feud. The Bünau family transformed the defensive castle into a residential Schloss in 1526–1575, and successive generations would expand and rebuild the Schloss in stages. Itcontinued to be the main seat of the family for about 350 years. As a consequence of the Seven Years' War of 1756–1763 the family however lost a substantial part of their wealth and had to part with the castle which subsequently passed into the hands of the von Uckermann family. The Uckermann family owned the castle for two generations and continued the process of embellishing the estate, not least the garden.

From 1830, the Schloss was used by the rulers of Saxony, the House of Wettin. Several members of the royal family lived in the castle, including three kings: Anthony of Saxony, John of Saxony and George of Saxony. After World War I, the castle was sold and in 1933 became the seat of an association for the protection of the heritage of Saxony (German: Landesverein Sächsischer Heimatschutz). During World War II, the castle was used for safekeeping most of the collections of the Kupferstich-Kabinett (Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs) of the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden or Dresden State Art Collections. Because of this, the castle and its contents were spared from destruction during the bombing of Dresden in World War II. After the war, the castle was used to house refugees before it was taken over by the state. Today it belongs to the state-owned company State Palaces, Castles and Gardens of Saxony (German: Staatliche Schlösser, Burgen und Gärten Sachsen). It houses a museum and 35 of the rooms of the castle are open to the public.

The presently visible ensemble is the product of centuries of development and rebuilding. The castle is thus a mix of styles, ranging from Gothic architecture to Classical architecture. The main portal, built in 1575, is considered one of the most valuable Renaissance portals in Saxony, The Schloss is built on a rock with storeys descending from the central, medieval round tower (with its 18th-century spire). In total, the castle has eight storeys. The castle contains around 200 rooms in total. The Baroque chapel, described as the "architectural and artistic highlight of the entire castle", is thought to have been designed by Johann George Schmidt. A formal garden lies adjacent to the castle. An English landscape garden, one of the earliest to be created in Saxony (c. 1780), has since been overgrown.

Schloss Weesenstein

The Albrechtsburg is a Late Gothic castle that dominates the town centre of Meissen in the German state of Saxony. It stands on a hill above the river Elbe, adjacent to the Meissen Cathedral.

By 929 King Henry I of Germany had finally subdued the Slavic Glomacze tribe and built a fortress within their settlement area, situated on a rock high above the Elbe river. This castle, called Misnia after a nearby creek, became the nucleus of the town and from 965 the residence of the Margraves of Meissen, who in 1423 acquired the Electorate of Saxony.

From 1464 Elector Ernest of Saxony ruled jointly with his younger brother Albert the Bold and both had the present-day castle erected from 1471 on. The masterpiece of court builder Arnold of Westphalia, it was constructed solely as a residence, not as a military fortress, the first German castle built for such a purpose. When the brothers divided the Wettin lands by the 1485 Treaty of Leipzig, the castle of Meissen fell to Albert. Though Albert's son Duke George the Bearded resided at the Albrechtsburg, it was soon superseded by Dresden Castle as the new seat of the Wettin Albertinian line.

In 1710 King Augustus II the Strong established the Royal-Polish and Electoral-Saxon Porcelain Manufactory (Königlich-Polnische und Kurfürstlich-Sächsische Porzellan-Manufaktur), which was the first European hard-paste porcelain manufacture, at the castle under the supervision of Johann Friedrich Böttger. Meissen porcelain was produced at the Albrechtsburg until manufacturing moved to its present location in 1863.

Albrechtsburg

The culturally and historically significant monument of Stolpen Castle has always been of importance to the country’s history, both as a secondary residence of the Meissen bishops and during the time of electoral rule. Depending on the requirements and possibilities of the respective eras, the castle was permanently subject to structural changes. It saw its conversion into Stolpen Palace, became a fortress and represents itself partially as a ruin today. Its master builders had to take into account the castle’s fortification purposes at all times.
The basalt mountain of Stolpen counts among the most important volcanic rock deposits in the Saxon-North-Bohemian region and is regarded a natural monument and »National Geotope«. The castle well of a depth of almost 85 meters is the deepest well on Earth ever driven into basalt and left in natural stone (unsupported).
Stolpen used to be situated in the border area of the Meissen Margraviate and the territories east of the Elbe River, inhabited by the Slavs. First, unproven evidence of fortifications on the basalt mountain date back to 1100. The name ‘Stolpen’ is of Slavic origin and means as much as ‘pillar’ or ‘place of pillars’.

For almost 350 years thereafter, 24 Meissen bishops ruled Amt Stolpen, the administrative office to manage the territory, which came into being around 1320. The bishop’s seat of the Meissen Bishopric remained on the Meissen castle mountain. Some bishops, however, resided on Stolpen for longer periods and with their extensive courts. All castle buildings preserved to this day date back to the late-Gothic period and were erected under episcopal master builders. The main building material used in construction was the very hard bluish-black basalt found locally.

Saxony’s Wettin electors realized the strategic importance of Stolpen. On occasion of a feud between the electoral stable master and the Meissen bishop over a testament, Elector Augustus, the country’s superior protector, forced the bishop to exchange his Amt Stolpen for electoral Amt Muehlberg, at the loss of sovereignty. The new owner was busy starting extensive building activities at the castle in the style of Renaissance. Residential rooms were gorgeously painted and some of them pompously equipped.

By being converted into a fortress in 1675, Stolpen received increased military importance. After the end of the Augustinian Age in 1763, the garrison was dissolved. Two years later, Stolpen’s most famous captive, Countess Cosel, died at the fortress, aged almost 85. The most well-known mistress to Saxon Elector and Polish King Augustus the Strong had spent 49 years of her life at Stolpen against her will. Her burial place is located inside the Stolpen Castle Chapel.

The castle was left to increasing decay. Soon, in 1773, first parts of the castle were demolished due to the hazard of imminent collapse. In the 19th century, antiquarian associations began taking care of the castle ruins and first restoration works commenced. The castle has been a museum since 1875. In 1992, the castle was returned to the ownership of the Free State of Saxony to be managed as a state-run castle operation. Since that time, extensive redevelopment and restoration measures have been undertaken under the auspices of the Free State with the goal to boost Stolpen Castle’s attractiveness for visitors and to safeguard the historic structure that was partially in ruins. With effect from 1 January 2013, it was converted into a non-profit-making limited liability company.

An average of approximately 100,000 visitors a year come and see Stolpen Castle today. Apart from the daily museum operation, an extensive program of events invigorates the castle. The historic Granary with its original wooden-beam architecture as well as the unique flair of the castle yards make each event a grand experience.

https://www.burg-stolpen.org