300 years of Favorite Palace, 300 years of porcelain. This double anniversary is reason enough for a visit to the jewel Margravine Sibylla Augusta had built in Rastatt-Förch. The furnishings and appointments with which the sovereign, who commissioned the building of the palace and truly appreciated the arts, surrounded herself are exquisite. But it became more than just a summer residential palace. It was a harmonious setting for one of the most splendid collections of European and Asian porcelain of that age. The new issue of Schlösser shows exquisite photographs that capture the magic of Favorite Palace.
These photos were taken by the photographer Martine Beck Coppola. The responsible curator of the State Palaces and Gardens, Dr. Ulrike Grimm, accompanied her during her artistic work and familiarized herself with the history of the "porcelain palace", which has been preserved virtually unchanged over the centuries. - Now you too can read, view and discover a marvelous jewel. A large number of special guided tours on site give you an opportunity to do just that.
There have been many women interested in culture throughout the history of Baden-Württemberg. Another example of this is Grand Duchess Stephanie of Baden, who died 150 years ago. She made Mannheim Palace one of the town's cultural centers. She was open to modern trends and decorated in the Empire style. We present one of the decorative pieces of furniture, a washing table with a "lavoir" (washbasin) in the section entitled "Vitrine" (Showcase).
A change in place and time: Weikersheim and the Renaissance are the next keywords. The gables with roll ornaments of the garden facade are one of the trademarks of the Weikersheim Palace complex. As is the Hall of Knights (Rittersaal), which is probably one of the most beautiful rooms created during the Renaissance in Germany. And the heyday of Hohenlohe-Weikersheim begins with Count Wolfgang II. The 400th anniversary of his death will be commemorated this year. On this occasion Schlösser Magazine provides more than just a portrait of the ruler.
The name Caspar Mohr would probably hardly be familiar to anyone today if it weren't for the decisive detail in the ceiling fresco at Bad Schussenried Monastery in the famous Library Hall (Bibliothekssaal) which refers to his attempts at flying. He has gone down in history as a "flying canon". The State Palaces and Gardens have chosen Schussenried as "Monastery of the Year" and Caspar Mohr as its popular figure. A new museum and changing exhibitions are sure to make the monastery a magnet for friends of the arts in 2010.
Philipp Franz Wilderich Count of Walderdorff died as the last Prince Bishop of Speyer 200 years ago. Like his three predecessors, he had made Bruchsal Palace his residence. He did not live there in peace for long, for he was deposed as the sovereign prince in1803 as part of Secularization. The palace passed into the possession of the Baden dynasty and Walderdorff was able to move to the Hermitage (Eremitage) in Waghäusel instead. He died a bitter man in 1810, 13 years after being elected Prince Bishop. Numerous events commemorate these former religious sovereigns this year in Bruchsal.
In keeping with springtime, we want to attract our readers to the Schwetzingen Palace Gardens. A large number of sculptures from the hand of the court artist Peter Anton of Verschaffelt have been preserved here. He was in the service of Elector Carl Theodor of the Palatinate, who had enough ideas to artistically upgrade not only Mannheim, but above all his summer residential palace in Schwetzingen. The 300th anniversary of Verschaffelt's birth is reason enough to remember the architect, court sculptor and academy director.
In addition to a wealth of other interesting topics, the magazine also contains tips on events with information on special guided tours.
The issue is available here in German only.