The Neustrelitz Palace (german: Schloss Neustrelitz) in
Neustrelitz
Neustrelitz (; East Low German: ''Niegenstrelitz'') is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 ...
in
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 ...
was a princely palace, which mostly served as the main residence of the Grand Dukes of
Mecklenburg-Strelitz
The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard), ...
. The palace was destroyed during World War II and was not reconstructed, although possible. Only the park remains today.
History
The Neustrelitz Palace was originally constructed as a
hunting lodge in Glienke on the Zierker lake around 1710/ 1711. After the castle in Strelitz was burned down in the eve of 24 October 1712, the ducal family was forced to live in hunting lodges for a number of years. The architect Christoph Julius Löwe transformed the hunting lodge into 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 ...
style three-story, three-winged palace. It became the principal residence of duke
Adolf Friedrich in 1733. Around the palace, the city of Neustrelitz was constructed which eventually became the new capital of the duchy. Over the years the palace expanded and changed, lastly between 1905 and 1909. It remained the seats of the Duke and Grand Dukes up to 1918 when the
monarchy
A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic (constitutional monarchy) ...
in Germany came to an end. The palace became property of the new Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. It served as parliament and museum. The Palace was destroyed during a fire in the night of 29 April 1945. Although parts of palace could have been restored, the
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
regime of
East Germany
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
decided to demolish it for ideological reasons. Only the foundations remained.
Reconstruction
In the 1990s, there were initiatives to reconstruct sections of the palace. Finally in December 2019, the Government of Pomerania and Mayor of Neustrelitz signed an agreement to clear the surviving castle basement of sand, construct a concrete ceiling for it, and commence planning for reconstruction of the tower.
After ten years of restoration and reconstruction, the Neustrelitz Palace Gardens were re-opened to the public in the summer of 2019.
[Neustrelitz: Der Schlossgarten ist fertig, NDR, 14 August 2019]
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References
*''This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia.''
Bibliography
* Otto Wagner rsg. ''Fremdenführer von Neustrelitz und Umgebung.'' Neustrelitz 1926.
* Michael Gust: ''Das Neustrelitzer Residenzschloss.'' cw strelitzia, Neustrelitz 1998.
* Gerlinde Kienitz: ''Schlosspark Neustrelitz.'' Hrsg.: Museum der Stadt Neustrelitz ca. 2000. (Broschüre mit Fotos von Horst-Günter Jung ohne Angabe des Erscheinungsjahrs).
* Friederike Drinkuth: ''Männlicher als ihr Gemahl. Herzogin Dorothea Sophie von Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Plön, Gemahlin Adolph Friedrichs III. von Mecklenburg-Strelitz. Regentin und Stadtgründerin von Neustrelitz.'' Thomas Helms Verlag
The Thomas Helms Verlag is a specialist publisher for North German culture, monument preservation, local and regional history, history, church and art history and is based in Schwerin in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
History
In 1994, the publi ...
Schwerin 2016. .
* Georg Alexander Herzog zu Mecklenburg: '' Das Haus Mecklenburg-Strelitz und seine Schlösser" in Bruno J. Sobotka/ Jürgen Strauss: "Burgen, Schlösser, Gutshäuser in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern." Theiss Verlag, Stuttgart 1993. (pages 59-65)
* Torsten Foelsch: ''Das Residenzschloß zu Neustrelitz. Ein verschwundenes Schloß in Mecklenburg.'' Foelsch & Fanselow Verlag, Groß Gottschow 2016. .
External links
* {{LBMV PPN, 269993886
* http://www.residenzschloss-verein.de - Association committed for restoring the Neustrelitz Palace
Houses completed in the 18th century
Houses completed in the 19th century
Remplin Palace
Remplin Palace (german: Schloss Remplin) is located in the village of Remplin, part of the municipality of Malchin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The palace was one of the residences of the Grand Ducal family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz unti ...
Remplin Palace
Remplin Palace (german: Schloss Remplin) is located in the village of Remplin, part of the municipality of Malchin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The palace was one of the residences of the Grand Ducal family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz unti ...
Remplin Palace
Remplin Palace (german: Schloss Remplin) is located in the village of Remplin, part of the municipality of Malchin in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The palace was one of the residences of the Grand Ducal family of Mecklenburg-Strelitz unti ...
Former palaces in Germany
Buildings and structures in Germany destroyed during World War II
Demolished buildings and structures in Germany