Auriculas in brilliant colors are harbingers of spring. Today the many varieties are primarily of interest to collectors. But like the tulip, the plant with its large number of blossoms was one of the most prized fashionable flowers in the Baroque age. On the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Weikersheim Palace Gardens, the auricula will experience a renaissance during its flowering period in April and May.
This year there are many reasons to visit the "Versailles of the Hohenlohe region" - thanks to the comprehensive program of events of the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg. This is an expression of the appreciation for the gardens in Weikersheim. After all, it is one of the few royal garden complexes of the high Baroque in Germany that has survived the centuries relatively intact.
But in 2008 the state-owned palaces have even more anniversaries to offer. In Ludwigsburg two institutions founded by Duke Carl Eugen back in 1758 will be celebrated at once. The Palace Theater with stage machinery preserved in virtually its original state and the auditorium with its Classicistic appointments will turn 250 years old. As will the Porcelain Manufactory. The "white gold" is still produced with traditional methods today and the most popular designs include the ingenious scale pattern from the founding age.
One of the state's most important royal buildings is Bruchsal Palace. Only the famous central staircase and the state-rooms in the middle tract still testify to the splendor of the former residence of the Prince Bishops of Speyer. The complex, which was largely destroyed in World War II, was given its external appearance again, but only the rooms mentioned above were reconstructed. Now a new era begins: the "Beletage" (principle floor) will be restored to its historical form over the next several years. Photographs of the court photographer Georg Maria Eckert from 1870 will help with the reconstruction.
When the large special exhibition "Extra schön. Markgräfin Sibylla Augusta und ihre Residenz" (Super beautiful. Margravine Sibylla Augusta and her Residential Palace) opens for visitors, the doors of the Palace Church will be closed. For many years now experts from the State Office of Building Management and restorers have been busy with the difficult task of preserving the substance of the sacred building closely linked to the name of Sibylla Augusta. Initial steps have now been taken and modern technology was used to stabilize the dilapidated old roof where no historical substance remained. This year the restoration of the interior will begin.
Our sections focus on interesting exhibits. In the series "LeseStoff" (Reading Material) we show the development of handbag fashion from the Baroque to the present. The new series entitled "Adel verpflichtet" (noblesse oblige) explains titles and ranks and their history and importance. The third installment covers the "Fürst" (Prince). The trip tip takes readers to Bronnbach Monastery in the Tauber Valley, where a cultural meeting place has been created.
In addition to other interesting topics, the issue also contains a calendar of events, the detailed, continually updated version of which can be viewed at our homepage.
The issue is available here in German only.