Schloss Elisabethenburg
Encyclopedia
Schloss Elisabethenburg is a Baroque
castle located on the northwestern edge of Meiningen
in Germany. Until 1918 it was the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen
. The castle now houses the Meininger Museum as well as the Max Reger
archives, the Thuringian State
Archives, the Max Reger music school, the Johannes Brahms concert hall, a restaurant, the tower Cafe, and the ceremonial rooms of the Meinigen City Council and Registry Office.
, the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, between 1682 and 1692 on the site of a late-Gothic
castle built in 1511, part of which was incorporated into the north wing of the present castle. The new castle had three wings and a central tower which form an "E" shape when seen from above. Later this was interpreted as referring to the name of the Duke's second wife, Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
, thus giving the castle its current name.
The building was remodelled in the 19th century with a dry-moat added. The heavily rustic window surrounds, which now dominate the facade were added in 1845. Originally the windows had simple rectangular shaped frames made of sandstone
. In 1918 a new Italian marble fountain was added. The interior decorations represent a gamut of architectural styles beginning with the baroque frescoes commissioned by Bernard I through the Rococo
and 19th century Empire styles.
The castle and its court orchestra have been associated with many famous musicians, and particularly with Hans von Bülow
, Max Reger
, and Johannes Brahms
, who was a frequent guest there. The music archives hold a large collection of autograph scores, including many of Bach
's, as well as a collection of historical instruments. The castle also has a very large court library, which was regularly used by Friedrich Schiller
during his stay in the area.
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
castle located on the northwestern edge of Meiningen
Meiningen
Meiningen is a town in Germany - located in the southern part of the state of Thuringia and is the district seat of Schmalkalden-Meiningen. It is situated on the river Werra....
in Germany. Until 1918 it was the residence of the Dukes of Saxe-Meiningen
Saxe-Meiningen
The Duchy of Saxe-Meiningen was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine line of the Wettin dynasty, located in the southwest of the present-day German state of Thuringia....
. The castle now houses the Meininger Museum as well as the Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
archives, the Thuringian State
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
Archives, the Max Reger music school, the Johannes Brahms concert hall, a restaurant, the tower Cafe, and the ceremonial rooms of the Meinigen City Council and Registry Office.
History
The castle was constructed by Bernard IBernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Bernhard I, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen was a duke of Saxe-Meiningen.He was the sixth but third surviving son of Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Altenburg and Elisabeth Sophie of Saxe-Altenburg....
, the first Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, between 1682 and 1692 on the site of a late-Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
castle built in 1511, part of which was incorporated into the north wing of the present castle. The new castle had three wings and a central tower which form an "E" shape when seen from above. Later this was interpreted as referring to the name of the Duke's second wife, Elisabeth Eleonore of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Anthony Ulrich, Duke of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel
Anthony Ulrich was duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg and ruled over the Wolfenbüttel subdivision of the duchy from 1685 until 1702 jointly with his brother, and solely from 1704 until his death.-Life:Anthony Ulrich was the second son of Augustus the Younger, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg; he studied at the...
, thus giving the castle its current name.
The building was remodelled in the 19th century with a dry-moat added. The heavily rustic window surrounds, which now dominate the facade were added in 1845. Originally the windows had simple rectangular shaped frames made of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. In 1918 a new Italian marble fountain was added. The interior decorations represent a gamut of architectural styles beginning with the baroque frescoes commissioned by Bernard I through the Rococo
Rococo
Rococo , also referred to as "Late Baroque", is an 18th-century style which developed as Baroque artists gave up their symmetry and became increasingly ornate, florid, and playful...
and 19th century Empire styles.
The castle and its court orchestra have been associated with many famous musicians, and particularly with Hans von Bülow
Hans von Bülow
Hans Guido Freiherr von Bülow was a German conductor, virtuoso pianist, and composer of the Romantic era. He was one of the most famous conductors of the 19th century, and his activity was critical for establishing the successes of several major composers of the time, including Richard...
, Max Reger
Max Reger
Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger was a German composer, conductor, pianist, organist, and academic teacher.-Life:...
, and Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
, who was a frequent guest there. The music archives hold a large collection of autograph scores, including many of Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
's, as well as a collection of historical instruments. The castle also has a very large court library, which was regularly used by Friedrich Schiller
Friedrich Schiller
Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller was a German poet, philosopher, historian, and playwright. During the last seventeen years of his life , Schiller struck up a productive, if complicated, friendship with already famous and influential Johann Wolfgang von Goethe...
during his stay in the area.
Sources
The following sources were given:- Reissland, Ingrid: Das Meininger Schloss Elisabethenburg, Baugeschichte und bedeutende Innenräume. Meiningen 1988.
- Beiträge zum Kolloquium: 300 Jahre Schloss Elisabethenburg, Hrsg. v. Verona Gerasch. Meiningen 1992 (Südthüringer Forschungen 27).
- Erck, Alfred; Schneider, Hannelore: Schloss Elisabethenburg in Meiningen, in: Residenz-Schlösser in Thüringen. Kulturhistorische Porträts. Hrsg. v. Roswitha Jacobsen u. Hendrik Bärnighausen. Bucha bei Jena 1998, S. 91 ff.
External links
- Museums of Meiningen (in German)
- Schloss Elisabethenburg on www.thueringen.info (in German)