Güstrow Palace (german: Schloss Güstrow) is a Renaissance-era palatial

schloss ''Schloss'' (; pl. ''Schlösser''), formerly written ''Schloß'', is the German term for a building similar to a château, palace, or manor house. Related terms appear in several Germanic languages. In the Scandinavian languages, the cognate ...

Güstrow Güstrow (; la, Gustrovium) is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is capital of the Rostock district; Rostock itself is a district-free city and regiopolis. It has a population of 28,999 (2020) and is the seventh largest town in Me ...

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (MV; ; nds, Mäkelborg-Vörpommern), also known by its anglicized name Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania, is a state in the north-east of Germany. Of the country's sixteen states, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ranks 14th in po ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, used as a museum and cultural centre. Built in 1558 for

Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg Ulrich III, Duke of Mecklenburg or Ulrich III of Mecklenburg-Güstrow (5 March 1527 – 14 March 1603) was Duke of Mecklenburg ( -Güstrow) from 1555-56 to 1603. Early life Ulrich was the third son of Duke Albrecht VII and Anna of Brandenburg. U ...

, it is located close to the town wall of Güstrow's old town, and is quadrangular in shape. The 16th-century palace features stucco decorations and a

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

-classicist gatehouse.

History

Construction of the present palace in

Renaissance style Renaissance architecture is the European architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 16th centuries in different regions, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of Ancient Greece, ancient Greek and ...

was initiated in 1558 by

, in place of a medieval castle. Italian architect

Franciscus Pahr Franciscus Pahr (died 1580) was an Italian architect who worked in Silesia and Sweden from the 1550s. He is remembered above all for his work in Uppsala where he contributed to the cathedral and castle.Gustav Adolf, the last Duke of Güstrow, engaged

Charles Philippe Dieussart Charles Philippe Dieussart (also Charles Philipp) (ca. 1625–1696) was a Dutch architect and sculptor, active in Germany in the second half of the seventeenth century. Most notably, he designed the Jagdschloss Glienicke, today a UNESCO World Heri ...

to refurbish parts of his palace in modern style. The Baroque gatehouse and the palace bridge were built during this time. After the end of ducal control, between 1817 and 1950, the palace became the farm house of Mecklenburg workers. Further restoration took place from 1963 to 1978, when the palace was restored to its original grandeur.

Features

Güstrow Palace is quadrangular in shape. Some of the old furniture has been removed to

Schwerin Schwerin (; Mecklenburgisch dialect, Mecklenburgian Low German: ''Swerin''; Latin: ''Suerina'', ''Suerinum'') is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Germany, second-largest city of the northeastern States of Germany, German ...

and other places following the death of

Magdalena Sybilla Magdalena may refer to: * Magdalena (given name), a given name derived from Mary Magdalene (including a list of people with the name) Entertainment * Magdalena (comics), an American comic book superheroine * ''Magdalena'' (film), a 1920 Czechos ...

which marked the end of the Güstrow lineage. In one part of the palace, there are well preserved Flemish paintings; one particular painting is of a Dutchman smoking. A theatre is in good shape with well preserved original stucco paintings. The stucco ceilings are retained in their original form in the palace. The banquet hall's ceiling has unique stucco paintings of hunting scenes which are adaptations from Dutch copper engravings. The medieval rooms in the basement of the palace, which are vaulted, have many artifacts of the medieval period of Germany. The art chamber contains exhibits of hunting and ceremonial weapons. The refurbished former dining halls, residential and reception rooms have exhibits of paintings of

Cranach Cranach is a German-language surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Augustin Cranach (1554–1595), German painter *Hans Cranach (c. 1513–1537), German painter *Lucas Cranach the Elder (c. 1472–1553), German artist *Lucas Cranach th ...

Marten de Vos Maerten de Vos, Maerten de Vos the Elder or Marten de Vos (1532 – 4 December 1603)Maerten de Vos
at the

, and

Tintoretto Tintoretto ( , , ; born Jacopo Robusti; late September or early October 1518Bernari and de Vecchi 1970, p. 83.31 May 1594) was an Italian painter identified with the Venetian school. His contemporaries both admired and criticized the speed with ...

. Antique ceramic vessels and a large number of glass items are on display in the former chamber of the duchess. There are also displays from the 19th to 21st centuries. The grounds contain stables and a well-tended garden. The garden has been redone with beds of lavender and walkways.

Museum

The palace houses a museum related to the male line of

Duchess Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg Elisabeth Sophie of Mecklenburg, Duchess of Brunswick-Lüneburg (20 August 1613 – 12 July 1676) was a German poet, composer and impresario. Life She began studying music at the court of her father, Duke John Albert II of Mecklenburg-Güstro ...

's family, presenting also art exhibitions and concerts.

References

;Bibliography * *

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gustrow Palace Houses completed in 1558 Palaces in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania Buildings and structures in Rostock (district) Royal residences in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania