Moritzburg Castle (german: Schloss Moritzburg) or Moritzburg Palace is 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 ...
palace in
Moritzburg, in the German state of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
, about northwest of the Saxon capital,
Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label=Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth larg ...
. The castle has four round towers and lies on a symmetrical artificial island. It is named after Duke
Moritz of Saxony
Maurice (21 March 1521 – 9 July 1553) was Duke (1541–47) and later Elector (1547–53) of Saxony. His clever manipulation of alliances and disputes gained the Albertine branch of the Wettin dynasty extensive lands and the electoral dignity.
...
, who had a hunting lodge built there between 1542 and 1546. The surrounding woodlands and lakes were a favourite hunting area of the electors and kings of Saxony.
History
The original castle, built from 1542 to 1546, was a hunting lodge for Moritz of Saxony, then Duke of
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
.
[Fritz Löffler: ''Das alte Dresden - Geschichte seiner Bauten''. 16th ed. Leipzig: Seemann, 2006, (German)] Elector
John George II of Saxony
Johann George II (31 May 1613 – 22 August 1680) was the Elector of Saxony from 1656 to 1680. He belonged to the Albertine line of the House of Wettin.
Biography
He was the third (fourth in order of birth) but eldest surviving son of the Elector ...
had the lodge extended; the chapel was added between 1661 and 1671. Designed by his architect,
Wolf Caspar von Klengel
Wolf Caspar Klengel, from 1664 von Klengel (8 June 1630 – 10 January 1691), was a German architect in Saxony,
Klengel was born in Dresden, the second son of Caspar Klengel. He built in Dresden the first opera house, the Opernhaus am Taschenberg ...
, the chapel is an example of early Baroque architecture.
The chapel was consecrated in a Catholic rite in 1697, after the grandson of John George II, Elector
Augustus II the Strong
Augustus II; german: August der Starke; lt, Augustas II; in Saxony also known as Frederick Augustus I – Friedrich August I (12 May 16701 February 1733), most commonly known as Augustus the Strong, was Elector of Saxony from 1694 as well as Ki ...
, converted to Catholicism in order to secure his
election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office.
Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has opera ...
as King of
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...
. Between 1723 and 1733, Augustus had the castle remodelled as a country seat by architects
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1736) was a German master builder and architect who helped to rebuild Dresden after the fire of 1685. His most famous work is the Zwinger Palace.
Life
Pöppelmann was born in Herford in Westphalia on 3 ...
and
Zacharias Longuelune
Zacharias Longuelune (1669 — 30 November 1748) was a French architect and master builder who worked in the second half of his life for the royal court in Dresden. His design style was French Baroque and Classicism.
Longuelune was born in Paris. ...
, adding a formal park, several ponds and a game preserve.
The surroundings of the castle were further developed by Elector
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
en, Frederick Augustus John Louis Charles Gustav Gregory Philip von Wettin
, image = Friedrich August III van Saksen.jpg
, caption = Frederick Augustus III (1914)
, succession = King of Saxony
, reign = 15 October 1904 – ...
, a greatgrandson of Augustus II the Strong, at the end of the 18th century. The Little Pheasant Castle (''Fasanenschlösschen'') was built between 1770 and 1776. The grounds were extended to include
a building for the storage of bird nets, the large Well of Venus, living quarters for
Count Camillo Marcolini
Camillo Count Marcolini-Ferretti (2 April 1739 in Fano – 10 July 1814 in Prague) was a minister and general director of the fine arts for the Electorate, later Kingdom of Saxony.
The prince-elector Frederick Christian met Camillo's father ...
and a maritime setting on the Great Lake complete with a miniature harbour with jetty and lighthouse.
Prince Ernst Heinrich of Saxony
en, Ernest Henry Ferdinand Francis Joseph Otto Maria Melchiades
, image = PrinceErnstSaxony.jpg
, image_size = 190px
, caption = Prince Ernst Heinrich in 1911
, spouse = Princess Sophie of LuxembourgVirginia Dulon
, issue ...
, who lived in the castle between 1933 and 1945, was the last resident of the
House of Wettin
The House of Wettin () is a dynasty of German kings, prince-electors, dukes, and counts that once ruled territories in the present-day German states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The dynasty is one of the oldest in Europe, and its ori ...
. He was dispossessed in 1945 by the postwar
Soviet administration.
Interior of the castle
The interior of the castle is furnished with examples of opulent baroque decor from the time of Augustus the Strong. The walls are covered in 17th century gold-gilded leather. Many rooms' furnishings are dedicated to courtly hunting.
The collection of
red deer antlers is one of the most important of its kind. The castle's largest collection of antlers is shown in the ''Speisesaal'' ("dining room"). Most of its 71 trophies are between 270 and 400 years old; they were purchased or acquired as presents. Among them is the heaviest red deer antler in the world, weighing and spanning almost . In the ''Monströsensaal'' ("monstrosity room"), there are 39 contorted antlers. One specimen, a 66-point red deer antler is from an animal killed by Elector
Frederick III of Brandenburg
Frederick I (german: Friedrich I.; 11 July 1657 – 25 February 1713), of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was (as Frederick III) Elector of Brandenburg (1688–1713) and Duke of Prussia in personal union ( Brandenburg-Prussia). The latter function h ...
in 1696.
[Wolfgang Kootz: ''Dresden, Illustrated guide to the state capital and surrounding area'', B&V Verlag, 2010, pp. 99-100.]
In 1723, Augustus the Strong acquired a four-poster bed for his
Japanese palace. It had approximately a million
peacock
Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera ''Pavo (genus), Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female pea ...
,
pheasant
Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family (biology), family Phasianidae in the order (biology), order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera na ...
,
guinea hen
Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched o ...
and duck feathers woven into the canvas. Rather than gluing or tying the feathers onto the canvas, they were woven in as
weft
Warp and weft are the two basic components used in weaving to turn thread or yarn into fabric. The lengthwise or longitudinal warp yarns are held stationary in tension on a frame or loom while the transverse weft (sometimes woof) is draw ...
.
Upon acquisition, Augustus had the curtains removed and turned into wall hangings, inspiring the room's name, ''Federzimmer'', or "feather room". This ensemble was moved to Schloss Moritzburg in 1830. Following an extensive 19-year restoration, the bed and wall hangings have been on view again since 2003.
Examples of Chinese, Japanese and
Meissen porcelain
Meissen porcelain or Meissen china was the first European hard-paste porcelain. Early experiments were done in 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. After his death that October, Johann Friedrich Böttger continued von Tschirnhaus's work and ...
are shown in the historical ''Porzellanquartier'' ("porcelain quarter"). This exhibition displays porcelain depicting hunting, exotic and mythological motifs as well as animal figurines that are relating to Moritzburg's original determination as a hunting lodge.
The apartments contain examples of opulence in the
lacquered
Lacquer is a type of hard and usually shiny coating or finish applied to materials such as wood or metal. It is most often made from resin extracted from trees and waxes and has been in use since antiquity.
Asian lacquerware, which may be ca ...
and ornate furniture, such as the
Augsburg
Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...
-made silver furniture styled after
Louis XIV
, house = Bourbon
, father = Louis XIII
, mother = Anne of Austria
, birth_date =
, birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
, death_date =
, death_place = Palace of Vers ...
's silver furniture at
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
. There are also engraved and inlaid weapons for hunting. The ''Billiardsaal'' ("billiards hall"), named after a former
billiard table
A billiard table or billiards table is a bounded table on which cue sports are played. In the modern era, all billiards tables (whether for carom billiards, pool, pyramid or snooker) provide a flat surface usually made of quarried slate, that ...
in it, contains monumental paintings on leather by
Louis de Silvestre
Louis de Silvestre (23 June 1675 – 11 April 1760) was a French portrait and history painter. He was court painter to King Augustus II of Poland, and director of the Royal Academy of Arts in Dresden.
Life and work
Sylvestre was born in Sc ...
. Eleven rooms are decorated with painted
leather wallpaper
Leather wallpaper is a type of wallpaper used in various styles for wall covering. It is often referred to as wrought leather. It is often gilded, painted and decorated. Leather was used to cover and decorate sections of walls in the houses o ...
from the 17th century.
A collection of royal carriages is shown in the entrance hall.
Park and surroundings
In 1728, a park was added to the castle on the adjacent land to the north. The u-shaped park has an area of approximately 230 by 150 meters. The gardens are in the French style and, because of the death of Augustus the Strong, were never completed. Johann Christian Daniel,
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662–1736) was a German master builder and architect who helped to rebuild Dresden after the fire of 1685. His most famous work is the Zwinger Palace.
Life
Pöppelmann was born in Herford in Westphalia on 3 ...
and others were involved in their initial design and planning. The garden's layout follows that of other European royal courts of the time.
During the 19th century, there were rare plants added and the garden was developed into a park in the romantic style.
An 8-arm, star-shaped system of alleys was cut through the ''Friedewald'', the forest on the northern side of the property. In particular, it was designed for royal
fox hunting
Fox hunting is an activity involving the tracking, chase and, if caught, the killing of a fox, traditionally a red fox, by trained foxhounds or other scent hounds. A group of unarmed followers, led by a "master of foxhounds" (or "master of ho ...
with hounds. The ruins of the ''Hellhaus'' ("glade house"), built in 1787 and designed by Johann Daniel Schade, can be found on a raised point at the intersection of the paths. It served the court hunting parties because from here, the so-called "swan keeper" would indicate the direction of flight of the game they hunted. This was done using flags, which he would raise from the top of the building.
One alley running directly east, visually connects the castle with the ''Fasanenschlösschen'' ("Little Pheasant Castle"), away. Not far from the ''Fasanenschlösschen'' is the Well of
Venus
Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
, one of the largest Baroque fountains in Saxony. It symbolizes the eastern end of a canal, which runs parallel to this corridor most of the time.
During the reconstruction phase of the palace from 1723 until 1733, the large pond surrounding the castle's artificial island was built from what was originally four smaller ponds. The other ponds in the ''Friedewald'' date from the 16th century and have been used for
carp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...
production since then. The channels connecting the ponds allow one to "fish" the carp by draining the water.
File:MoritzburgOct11 Garden.jpg, The park of the castle
File:MoritzburgOct11 ViewFromGarden.jpg, View from the garden to the castle
File:MoritzburgOct11 Hellhaus.jpg, The ruins of the Hellhaus at the intersection of the star-shaped system of alleys
File:MoritzburgOct11 Venusbrunnen.jpg, Well of Venus with the alley visually connecting it with the castle
Little Pheasant Castle
Shortly after the remodelling of Moritzburg Castle as the country seat of August the Strong, a single-story pavilion was built just away by the architect Johann Christoph Knöffel. The pavilion's foundation was later used for the Chinese-style Little Pheasant Castle (''Fasanenschlösschen'') in 1770. Elector
Frederick Augustus III of Saxony
en, Frederick Augustus John Louis Charles Gustav Gregory Philip von Wettin
, image = Friedrich August III van Saksen.jpg
, caption = Frederick Augustus III (1914)
, succession = King of Saxony
, reign = 15 October 1904 – ...
had the pavilion built in the middle of the gardens. Johann Daniel Schade who had been the architect in charge of the royal building projects, received the commission for the
Rococo
Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...
design. Construction was completed about 1776.
The shell-pink pavilion is located at the end of an alley leading to the main castle. The square building has five
bays wide on each side. The high roof has an
ogee
An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinatio ...
profile, capped by an open
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, from ...
with a pair of Chinese figures under a parasol as a
finial
A finial (from '' la, finis'', end) or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a d ...
. Concealed behind plantings to give the pavilion an isolated ambience, were outbuildings used to breed pheasants for use in hunting.
The few rooms, including the elector's study, are furnished with original trappings. The Rococo finishes include murals on canvas, inlaid wood paneling, painted and gilded stucco ceilings, and unique finishes crafted from materials like embroidered silk, straw, pearls and feathers. The interiors were restored between 2009 and 2013 through a collaboration between
Ostdeutsche Sparkassenstiftung,
Sparkasse Meißen, and
World Monuments Fund
World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...
.
On the front of the building, there is a double-flight stairway leading to the lake with a miniature harbour and jetty. There is also a painted brick lighthouse high. The miniature harbour was used to stage naval battles for the monarch's amusement.
In order to re-enact the famous
Battle of Chesma
The naval Battle of Chesme took place on 5–7 July 1770 during the Russo-Turkish War (1768–1774) near and in Çeşme (Chesme or Chesma) Bay, in the area between the western tip of Anatolia and the island of Chios, which was the site of a numb ...
, the
Dardanelles
The Dardanelles (; tr, Çanakkale Boğazı, lit=Strait of Çanakkale, el, Δαρδανέλλια, translit=Dardanéllia), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli from the Gallipoli peninsula or from Classical Antiquity as the Hellespont (; ...
, a miniature wall representing the original castles at the narrow strait in northwestern Turkey, were also built. Today, the harbour is partly silted because the lake's water level is approximately lower than before.
On the garden side of the castle, a pair of staircases descend to a sunken
parterre
A ''parterre'' is a part of a formal garden constructed on a level substrate, consisting of symmetrical patterns, made up by plant beds, low hedges or coloured gravels, which are separated and connected by paths. Typically it was the part of ...
, now planted with turf.
Trivia
In 1972 Moritzburg Castle was one of the locations of the Czechoslovak-German film ''
Tři oříšky pro Popelku
''Tři oříšky pro Popelku'' ("Three Little Nuts for Cinderella"; known in German as ''Drei Haselnüsse für Aschenbrödel'', "Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella"; also called in English ''Three Wishes for Cinderella'' or ''Three Gifts for Cinder ...
'' ("Three Nuts for Cinderella"), which became a popular fairy-tale movie in Central Europe.
See also
*
List of Baroque residences
This is a list of Baroque architecture, Baroque palaces and Residenz, residences built in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque architecture is a building style of the Baroque, Baroque era, begun in late 16th-century Italy and spread in Europe ...
*
Dresden Castle
Dresden Castle or Royal Palace (german: Dresdner Residenzschloss or ) is one of the oldest buildings in Dresden, Germany. For almost 400 years, it was the residence of the electors (1547–1806) and List of rulers of Saxony, kings (1806–1918) o ...
– Residence of the electors and kings of Saxony
*
Pillnitz Castle
Pillnitz Palace (german: Schloss Pillnitz) is a restored Baroque architecture, Baroque schloss at the eastern end of the city of Dresden in the German state of Saxony. It is located on the bank of the River Elbe in the former village of Pillnitz. ...
– Summer residence of the electors and kings of Saxony
*
List of castles in Saxony
Numerous castles (''Burgen'') and palaces (''Schlösser'') are found in the German state of Saxony. These buildings, some of which have a history of over 1000 years, were the setting of historical events, domains of famous personalities and are st ...
Notes and references
External links
Moritzburg Castle official siteMoritzburg Castle - A Fairy Tale and its Treasures
{{Authority control
Museums in Saxony
Castles in Saxony
Baroque architecture in Saxony
Historic house museums in Germany
Water castles in Germany
Hunting lodges in Germany
Buildings and structures in Meissen (district)
Royal residences in Saxony