Augustusburg and Falkenlust Palaces, Brühl
Encyclopedia
The Augustusburg and Falkenlust palaces is a historical building complex in Brühl
, North Rhine-Westphalia
, Germany
, which have been listed as a UNESCO
cultural World Heritage Site
since 1984. They are connected by the spacious gardens and trees of the Schlosspark.
Augustusburg Palace and its parks also serve as a venue for the Brühl Palace Concerts. The Max Ernst
Museum is located nearby.
The palaces were built at the beginning of the 18th century by the Archbishop-Elector
of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria
of the Wittelsbach
family. The architects were Johann Conrad Schlaun and François de Cuvilliés. The main block Augustusburg Palace is a U-shaped building with three main storeys and two levels of attics. The magnificent staircase was designed by Johann Balthasar Neumann.
The gardens were designed by Dominique Girard
. An elaborate flower garden
for an area south of the palaces was also designed, but it was restructured by Peter Joseph Lenné
in the 19th century and turned into a landscape garden
. Attempts to renovate the area have proven difficult, due to poor source material availability.
Falkenlust was built from 1729 to 1740, in the style of the Amalienburg
hunting lodge in the park of Nymphenburg Palace
by François de Cuvilliés.
From shortly after World War II until 1994, Augustusburg was used as a reception hall for guests of state by the German President
, as it is not far from Bonn
, which was the capital of Germany at that time.
Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia
Brühl is a town in the Rhineland of Germany. It is located in Rhein-Erft-Kreis, 20 km south of Cologne city center and at the edge of Naturpark Kottenforst-Ville Nature Reserve.-History:...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, which have been listed as a UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
cultural World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
since 1984. They are connected by the spacious gardens and trees of the Schlosspark.
Augustusburg Palace and its parks also serve as a venue for the Brühl Palace Concerts. The Max Ernst
Max Ernst
Max Ernst was a German painter, sculptor, graphic artist, and poet. A prolific artist, Ernst was one of the primary pioneers of the Dada movement and Surrealism.-Early life:...
Museum is located nearby.
The palaces were built at the beginning of the 18th century by the Archbishop-Elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
of Cologne, Clemens August of Bavaria
Clemens August of Bavaria
Clemens August of Bavaria was a member of the Wittelsbach dynasty of Bavaria and Archbishop-Elector of Cologne.-Biography:...
of the Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
family. The architects were Johann Conrad Schlaun and François de Cuvilliés. The main block Augustusburg Palace is a U-shaped building with three main storeys and two levels of attics. The magnificent staircase was designed by Johann Balthasar Neumann.
The gardens were designed by Dominique Girard
Dominique Girard
Dominique Girard may refer to:* Dominique Girard , French ambassador to India* Dominique Girard , landscape architect...
. An elaborate flower garden
Flower garden
A flower garden is any garden where flowers are grown for decorative purposes. Because flowers bloom at varying times of the year, and some plants are annual, dying each winter, the design of flower gardens can take into consideration to maintain a sequence of bloom and even of consistent color...
for an area south of the palaces was also designed, but it was restructured by Peter Joseph Lenné
Peter Joseph Lenné
Peter Joseph Lenné was a Prussian gardener and landscape architect from Bonn who worked in the German classicist style.-Childhood and development:...
in the 19th century and turned into a landscape garden
Landscape garden
The term landscape garden is often used to describe the English garden design style characteristic of the eighteenth century, that swept the Continent replacing the formal Renaissance garden and Garden à la française models. The work of Lancelot 'Capability' Brown is particularly influential.The...
. Attempts to renovate the area have proven difficult, due to poor source material availability.
Falkenlust was built from 1729 to 1740, in the style of the Amalienburg
Amalienburg
The Amalienburg is a small hunting lodge in the Nymphenburg Palace of Munich, southern Germany. It was constructed in 1734-1739 by François de Cuvilliés, in Rococo style, for the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VII and his wife, Maria Amalia of Austria....
hunting lodge in the park of Nymphenburg Palace
Nymphenburg Palace
The Nymphenburg Palace , i.e. "Nymph's Castle", is a Baroque palace in Munich, Bavaria, southern Germany. The palace was the main summer residence of the rulers of Bavaria.-History:...
by François de Cuvilliés.
From shortly after World War II until 1994, Augustusburg was used as a reception hall for guests of state by the German President
President of Germany
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany is the country's head of state. His official title in German is Bundespräsident . Germany has a parliamentary system of government and so the position of President is largely ceremonial...
, as it is not far from Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, which was the capital of Germany at that time.