Elisabethenburg Palace

The baroque castle Elizabeth Castle was until 1918 the residential palace of the Dukes of Saxe- Meiningen.

The castle is located on the northwestern outskirts of the historic town of Meiningen in the castle park directly on the Werra and now houses the Meiningen Museums with the Max -Reger -Archiv, the City Archives and Thuringian State Archives Meiningen, the music school " Max Reger ", the concert hall " John Brahms ", a restaurant, a cafe tower, the city administration and the wedding ceremony rooms of the registry office.

History

The Elizabeth Castle was Bernhard I, the first Duke of Saxe- Meiningen, 1682-1692 built in place of the former Wurzburg Meiningen as baroque three-wing building that is recognizable as an "E" with its tower in the central axis of the main wing from the air. Later this plan form was often interpreted as a reference to the name of the wife of the Duke, Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel, which was named in honor of the new Residence Castle Elizabeth Castle. Clean structurally its form but simply from the combination of the tower which contains the central staircase, with three -bladed system.

Originally planned was a completely symmetrical three-wing building, and over the ends of the wings tower roofs should be constructed, whose shape corresponded with the tower in the center of the main wing. This ideal design, for example, is mapped to a thaler of 1692, but was never fully implemented.

Was used to build, among other stones of the ruined castle country weirs. 1685 should for this purpose whose donjon to be blown up, but that does not quite succeed, so this still cracked and obliquely inserted in the soil. Built in 1511, the main building of the Würzburg castle, now called Bibrasbau after Bishop Lorenz von Bibra, was included as a north wing in the ensemble, as the money was missing for the proposed new north wing similar to the South Wing. The open side closed the builder with a two-storey semi-circular building, the rotunda is called. The south wing was located 1692 consecrated Castle Church " to the Holy Trinity ." The castle was surrounded by a wide moat, across which the castle grave bridge.

The areas of the moat at the park side and in front of the main entrance of the palace rotunda were 1809-1810 piped and backfilled, the still intact castle grave bridge disappeared under the new plaster. At the same time they paved the courtyard. In the years 1835-1837 the castle roof were rebuilt and the tower structures removed. The heavily rusticated window frames, which today characterize the facade, was brought to 1845. Initially, the window designed simple rectangular framing of sandstone. The rotunda was built in 1854 increased by one floor and in 1861 took place under Oberbaurat Otto Hoppe, a reconstruction of the Bibra building instead. In 1918, the castle courtyard with a marble fountain in the Italian Renaissance style with four fishing bowls and water-spouting mythical creatures.

From 1692 to 1918 the castle served as the residence of the Dukes of Meiningen. Here was the workrooms of celebrities such as Max Reger, Hans von Bülow and Ludwig Chronegk. Often Johannes Brahms was at his Meininger working and friendship visit in the castle as a guest. Furthermore, the building housed an extensive Hofbibliothek who regularly took advantage of Friedrich Schiller during his asylum in Bauer stream with the aid of the court librarian William Reinwald.

Building

The Elizabeth Castle was until the early 20th century, with the exception of the fortification by far the largest structure in the city. Even today, it is surpassed only by a few commercial and retail buildings. The constructed surface area of ​​the three wings and the rotunda is without outbuildings around 5,780 m², with 10,230 m² courtyard there are. It is thus one of the largest palace buildings in Thuringia.

Main wing

The 112 m long and 20 m wide main wing forms the western side of the palace ensemble. Over a wide staircase leads from here into the park and to Werra. In the courtyard the main wing, a stair tower is pre- sets whose top floor is occupied by the Hesse hall. There is a cafe housed with good views over the old town. The stair tower is the main access to the Meiningen Museums and galleries located in the main wing. Architecturally, the giant hall, once the first Meininger Theater venue, the marble hall and some ducal apartments are emphasized.

South Wing

The same time as the main wing was built 50 m long and 19 m wide south wing housed until 1978 the castle church. This has since then served after conversion as a concert hall. Under the church was located in a large and spacious basement the royal crypt of the ducal house, which was used until 1839 took place the inauguration of the crypt chapel in the English Garden. Today, in the south wing of the richly decorated wedding rooms Meininger Registry Office are still housed.

Bibrasbau

The Bibrasbau Renaissance forms the north wing of the castle ensembles and is also the oldest member. It was erected in 1511 as main building of the castle and Würzburg in 1861 increased. The building is provided with bay windows, turrets and numerous dormers. The Bibrasbau is the domicile of the State Archives Meiningen, the City Archives and the music school " Max Reger ".

Rotunda

The three-storey rotunda connects the ends of the north and south wings in a half circle and borders the courtyard to the east and toward the city from. Here to 1920, the ministries of the Duchy and the Free State of Saxony -Meiningen were housed, he has been the destruction of the Meininger City Hall in February 1945, the headquarters of the city government. The centrally mounted archway forms the main entrance to the castle ensemble. On the ground floor north of the gate of the city established a Citizens' Advice Bureau. South of this, the ground floor is occupied by a restaurant.

Courtyard

The castle underwent several transformations over the centuries. Initially, a free surface, it was planted in 1900 with trees and dense hedges. Today you can go from a wide, tree with benches and small hedges Ringweg to all stairs and entrances of the palace buildings. In the center is located in a park with paved paths, a three-shell marble fountain. From March to November, the Pop Art in the Southwest corner - Artwork Reincarnated by Anne Schwegmann - Fielding issued.

Museums

In the main wing of the castle today is the main part of the Meiningen Museums is located on 3400 m² in 52 rooms, at the same time accommodate the most extensive art collection in Thuringia. outline:

• Historical interiors - from playful rococo elegant Empire through to historicism.
• Art collections on two floors - paintings, sculptures, furniture, ceramics, clocks and other crafts from different centuries.
• Music History - Exhibitions of the Meiningen Court Orchestra and the musician Johann Ludwig Bach, Richard Wagner, Hans von Bülow, Johannes Brahms, Richard Strauss, Max Reger. Furthermore, Reger's study at the Max -Reger -Archiv is shown and in a new permanent exhibition, a historical musical instrument collection presents ( since November 2008).
• Theater history - about the Meininger Theater and the Meininger.

The museums are still two galleries, where are historical in constantly changing exhibitions exhibits presented to a current cultural or communal issue.

Worth seeing

Particularly interesting are the Bibrasbau, the Marble Hall, the Castle Church (now " concert hall Johannes Brahms " ), the baroque Hesse Hall as a tower cafe with views over the old town and the richly decorated with gold wedding room.