Electoral Palace (Koblenz)
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The Electoral Palace (German: Kurfürstliches Schloss) in
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
, was the residence of the last Archbishop and Elector of Trier, Clemens Wenceslaus of Saxony, who commissioned the building in the late 18th century. In the mid-19th century, the Prussian Crown Prince (later Emperor Wilhelm I) had his official residence there during his years as military governor of the
Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...
and the
Province of Westphalia The Province of Westphalia () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar Republic and from 1918 ...
. It now houses various offices of the federal government. The Electoral Palace is one of the most important examples of the early French neoclassical great house in Southwestern Germany, and with Schloss Wilhelmshöhe in Kassel, the Prince Bishop's Palace in Münster and
Ludwigsburg Palace Ludwigsburg Palace, nicknamed the "Versailles of Swabia", is a 452-room palace complex of 18 buildings located in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Its total area, including the gardens, is the largest palatial estate in the country. T ...
, one of the last palaces built in Germany before the French Revolution.Ralf A. Flemming
Kurfürstliches Schloss
Structurae Structurae is an online database containing pictures and information about structural engineering, structural and civil engineering works, and their associated engineers, architects, and builders. Its entries are user-generated content, contribu ...
, retrieved 21 May 2013
Since 2002, it has been part of the Rhine Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site, and it is also a protected cultural property under the Hague Convention.


Building

The palace consists of a rectangular main building (''Corps de logis'') which extends in a north-south direction parallel to the nearby bank of the Rhine and two semi-circular wings which extend from it on the west side facing the city, enclosing the great forecourt of the palace (''Schlossvorplatz''). The main building is predominantly horizontally articulated; five of its 39 axes are emphasised by projecting bays. In the centre of the façade which faces the city, a
portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
with eight columns rises to the roofline. On the river side, a central bay has six columns and is surmounted by a relief by the sculptor Sebastian Pfaff depicting an allegory of the Rhine and the Mosel, the electoral coat of arms, lions symbolising sovereignty and symbols of the ecclesiastical and temporal power of the Archbishop Electors of Trier. The side wings, which were rebuilt to a height of two storeys in the 1950s, are unarticulated. In commissioning the relatively unornamented and austere building from French architects, Clemens Wenceslaus broke with the previous tradition in Koblenz of architecture in the French and German
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 ...
tradition. It was built as a residence and city palace. However, as a function of its location on the bank of the Rhine, it was conceived of as part of the river landscape, and the rooms are so arranged as to either draw attention to the landscape or refer to it. From the entrance facing the city, the intended path leads through the vestibule and garden room to the palace garden on the riverbank. The rooms on the south and east sides offer an impressive view of the Middle Rhine Valley. The embracing of the landscape was in response to Clemens Wenceslaus' wish. The grand gesture of the forecourt encircled by the colonnaded wings has older antecedents, such as the colonnades of St. Peter's Square in Rome, the New Palace in Bayreuth, and
Schwetzingen Castle Schwetzingen Palace is a schloss in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Schwetzingen was the summer residence of the Electors Palatine Charles III Philip and Charles IV Theodore (of the House of Wittelsbach). It is situated in Schwetzingen, ...
. In the garden behind the palace is an 1854 sandstone sculpture by
Johann Hartung Johann, typically a male given name, is the German form of ''Iohannes'', which is the Latin form of the Greek name ''Iōánnēs'' (), itself derived from Hebrew name ''Yochanan'' () in turn from its extended form (), meaning "Yahweh is Gracious" ...
depicting the allegorical figures ''Father Rhine and Mother Mosel''.


History


Construction

The old electoral residence, Schloss Philippsburg in Ehrenbreitstein, was in urgent need of repair and from the point of view of the new archbishop and elector, a member of the Saxon-Polish royal family, was beneath his station.Vor 230 Jahren: Der 27. September 1777. Der Bau des Koblenzer Schlosses"
Landesarchivverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz, 7 September 2007 (with plans and drawings of interior details)
The estates, who did not readily accept the need for a new building, were only persuaded after lengthy discussion to agree to paying for it. The building was finally erected in 1777–1793 in a new section of Koblenz called Neustadt. The original chief architect was the Parisian
Pierre Michel d’Ixnard Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
, who had already designed several buildings in South Germany. A first draft of the plans made in 1776, by others had been for a horseshoe-shaped design farther away from the river and farther north, facing the old city centre; probably on the request of Clemens Wenceslaus, d'Ixnard changed the site and the orientation. However, after criticism of his plans, a report was commissioned from the Academy of Architects in Paris, which confirmed some of the criticism. He was let go on 18 December 1779 and was replaced on the Academy's recommendation by another French architect,
Antoine-François Peyre Antoine-François Peyre (5 April 1739, in Paris – 7 February 1823, in Paris) was a French architect; the younger brother of Marie-Joseph Peyre, and the uncle of . Biography He won the Grand prix de l'Académie (later, the Prix de Rome) in 17 ...
the Younger, whose modified plans submitted in 1780 produced the smaller and simpler structure which was built. The exterior was complete by 1784. Until 1787, the interiors and furniture were overseen by François Ignace Mangin and were executed primarily by court stucco master Henckel and the Mainz court sculptor Johann Sebastian Pfaff.
Januarius Zick Johann Rasso Januarius Zick (6 February 1730 – 14 November 1797) was a German painter and architect. He is considered to be one of the main masters of the Late-Baroque. Life Januarius Zick was born in Munich and began to learn his trade fro ...
was responsible for ceiling frescoes. Construction supervisors included Johann Andreas Gärtner of Dresden, the architect of the ''Festungsschirrhof'' in Koblenz (damaged in the Second World War and later demolished; now the site of the Reichenspergerplatz) and father of the Munich architect Friedrich von Gärtner, who was born in Koblenz. On 23 November 1786, Clemens Wenceslaus and his sister
Maria Kunigunde of Saxony Maria Kunigunde of Saxony (Maria Kunigunde Dorothea Hedwig Franziska Xaveria Florentina; 10 November 1740 in Warsaw – 8 April 1826 in Dresden) was Princess-Abbess of Essen and Thorn. She was a titular Princess of Poland, Lithuania and Saxon ...
, Princess- Abbess of
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
, moved into the new palace. A year later, the new theatre was opened not far away. The banqueting hall and palace chapel were completed only later, the latter in 1792. Clemens Wenceslaus was at first open to reforms, but after the French Revolution broke out, in alarm cancelled all reforms and instituted strict rule. He was the uncle of the French king, Louis XVI; he offered refuge to French émigrés and fleeing members of the French court, particularly in
Schönbornslust Schönbornslust (german: Schloss Schönbornslust ) was a palace located in Kesselheim, part of the city of Koblenz in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It was a summer residence and hunting loge of the Prince-Electors and Archbishops of Trier. It ...
Palace, just outside the gates of Koblenz. Koblenz thus became a French Royalist centre.


French occupation

During the War of the First Coalition, the advance of the French revolutionary army finally made it necessary for Clemens Wenceslaus to flee on 7 October 1794. Two weeks later, the French under General
François Séverin Marceau-Desgraviers François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, Kin ...
captured Koblenz. The Electorate of Trier ceased to exist and at the end of 1801 was largely annexed by France. It was therefore impossible to complete the interior of the Electoral Palace. Before leaving, Clemens Wenceslaus had what could be moved loaded on ships and taken to Augsburg, where the pieces became part of the furnishings of the electoral residence there. Some were auctioned off after his death; large parts of the furnishings of the reception rooms from the palace at Koblenz remain in Schloss Johannisburg in Aschaffenburg, in Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, in the
Munich Residenz The Residenz (, ''Residence'') in central Munich is the former royal palace of the Wittelsbach monarchs of Bavaria. The Residenz is the largest city palace in Germany and is today open to visitors for its architecture, room decorations, and displ ...
, in the Landshut Residence, and in the New Residence in
Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...
. After Clemens Wenceslaus' departure, the palace was used temporarily as a military hospital (a Russian military hospital after
Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
withdrew from Moscow and the Russians liberated Koblenz from the French) and, beginning in 1815 after it passed into the possession of Prussia, as a
barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...
.


Prussian rule

From 1823 to 1842, the Electoral Palace was the seat of various government offices and law courts of the Prussian
Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...
. The ground floor was the seat of the ''Oberpräsident'', the provincial governor, from 1846 to 1911, when he moved into a specially constructed building next to the palace. The guard headquarters for the city of Koblenz was housed until 1918 at the head end of the southern semi-circular wing. Between 1842 and 1845, the interior was redesigned by Johann Claudius von Lassaulx to designs by Friedrich August Stüler, because the palace had been designated the official residence for members of the Prussian royal family visiting the Rhineland; the royal accommodations were on the first floor. From 1833 to 1852, the
belvedere Belvedere (from Italian, meaning "beautiful sight") may refer to: Places Australia *Belvedere, Queensland, a locality in the Cassowary Coast Region Africa *Belvedere (Casablanca), a neighborhood in Casablanca, Morocco *Belvedere, Harare, Zim ...
of the southern wing was surmounted by an apparatus constituting one terminus (station 61) of the Prussian
semaphore line An optical telegraph is a line of stations, typically towers, for the purpose of conveying textual information by means of visual signals. There are two main types of such systems; the semaphore telegraph which uses pivoted indicator arms and ...
between Berlin, Cologne and Koblenz. The transmitting office and the office overseeing the western sections of the line were both housed in the palace. From 1850 to 1858, Prince Wilhelm, later Wilhelm I, resided in the palace with his wife Augusta while serving as military governor of the Rhine Province and the
Province of Westphalia The Province of Westphalia () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar Republic and from 1918 ...
. The first section of the Rhine promenade, designed by Peter Joseph Lenné and later named the ''Kaiserin Augusta Anlagen'' after her, was created at her urging. Until a few weeks before her death in January 1890, she continued to pay annual visits to the palace and the city of Koblenz, her "Rhenish Potsdam".


Twentieth century

Until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the palace continued to be frequently visited by members of the Prussian royal, then imperial family. For two weeks that August, it then served as Wilhelm II's base of operations and the location of the Imperial German General Headquarters. After the war, it housed various government offices until 1923, when it was the site of the proclamation of the separatist
Rhenish Republic The Rhenish Republic (german: Rheinische Republik) was proclaimed at Aachen (Aix-la-Chapelle) in October 1923 during the occupation of the Ruhr by troops from France and Belgium (January 19231925) and subjected itself to French protectorate. It ...
under Minister-President-designate
Josef Friedrich Matthes Josef Friedrich Matthes (10 February 1886 – 9 October 1943) was head of the short lived Rhenish Republic. Biography He was born on 10 February 1886 in Würzburg. He moved to Switzerland in 1909 and worked as an editor in Baden. By 1918, he was ...
which lasted until 9 February 1924. During the
Nazi era Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, an amphitheatrical ''
Thingplatz A ''Thingspiel'' (plural ''Thingspiele'') was a kind of multi-disciplinary outdoor theatre performance which enjoyed brief popularity in pre-war Nazi Germany during the 1930s. A Thingplatz or Thingstätte was a specially-constructed outdoor am ...
'' theatre was created in the palace forecourt. It was one of the first of a projected 400 to be built; in March 1934 building materials were brought up from the Rhine by citizens,Rainer Stommer, ''Die inszenierte Volksgemeinschaft: die "Thing-Bewegung" im Dritten Reich'', Marburg: Jonas, 1985, , p. 213 over 100 workers began work in two shifts on 8 June, a mystical cornerstone-laying ceremony took place on 16 June, and the theatre was dedicated by Mayor Otto Wittgen on 24 March 1935."Vor 70 Jahren: Der 24. März 1935. Einweihung der Thingstätte in Koblenz"
, Landesarchivverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz, 4 March 2005 (with plan and photographs)
The theatre was oval, long by wide and approximately deep; it was constructed using 16,000 basalt pillars, seated 20,000 people and could accommodate a further 80,000 standees in the surrounding areas of the forecourt. The layout incorporated a glacial boulder and, under the palace portico, a memorial grotto with an eternal flame. The motto of the theatre was ''Leuchte, scheine goldene Sonne über dies befreite Land'' (Gleam, shine golden sun, over this liberated land), and a lur was installed on the palace roof, to be sounded twice daily. It was audible up to away. The Koblenz Thingplatz was one of the most important in the effort to use the locations for mystical observances, particularly at the
summer solstice The summer solstice, also called the estival solstice or midsummer, occurs when one of Earth's poles has its maximum tilt toward the Sun. It happens twice yearly, once in each hemisphere ( Northern and Southern). For that hemisphere, the summer ...
. However, interest in the ''Thingspiel'' movement waned rapidly, and already at the end of 1937 a contest was organised to redesign the forecourt as a simple parade ground, doing away with the amphitheatre; in later years it was mainly used for the annual May Day ceremonies. After World War II, it was filled in with debris from the bombing of the city. During World War II, the palace complex was reduced to a shell by bombs in 1944. It was rebuilt in 1950–51, the exterior being accurately reconstructed using the original plans and the interior finished in 1950s style, except for a few spaces in the centre section whose interiors were reconstructed in the classical style of the palace's original construction (before Stüler's alterations): the grand staircase, the entrance hall, the guard room (now known as the ''Spiegelsaal'' (hall of mirrors) or the ''Kurfürstensaal'' (elector's hall) and the garden room. A competition was held to choose art works for these rooms: the staircase was decorated on the ground floor with a statue by Emil Krieger entitled ''Kore'', on the landings with ''Europa on the Bull'' by Otto Rumpf and ''Horse and Rider'' by Werner Meurer and on the first floor with niche paintings by Edvard Frank;
Rolf Müller-Landau Rolf is a male given name and a surname. It originates in the Germanic name ''Hrolf'', itself a contraction of ''Hrodwulf'' ( Rudolf), a conjunction of the stem words ''hrod'' ("renown") + ''wulf'' ("wolf"). The Old Norse cognate is ''Hrólfr''. ...
created allegorical paintings for the niches in the south hall on the ground floor; two paintings in the northern vestibule of the garden room are by Edgar Ehse; and a mosaic on one wall of the grand staircase, signed E. K., is probably by Eugen Keller. The selection committee attempted to reproduce as closely as possible the original impression a visitor would have received, including in the choice of colours, but the works reflect the period of their creation. The grounds were restored in the original style, in particular the forecourt. The only surviving historic interior is that of the vestibule to the now destroyed palace chapel, at the head end of the northern semi-circular wing. The two wings were restored in a simplified modern form, preserving only the footprint of the originals. The building initially served as the seat of the Allied Security Office (Military Security Board). In 1960 the building was sold to the Federal Republic of Germany by the State of Rhineland-Palatinate, which had inherited it in 1946 as the legal successor to Prussia. In 1998 it was again restored, and the exterior, which had been painted in the traditional
ochre Ochre ( ; , ), or ocher in American English, is a natural clay earth pigment, a mixture of ferric oxide and varying amounts of clay and sand. It ranges in colour from yellow to deep orange or brown. It is also the name of the colours produced ...
and purplish red of Prussian forts and palaces, was repainted in its 18th-century colour scheme: pale grey walls and grey architectural details. The palace currently houses offices for various branches of the federal government (including the
Institute for Federal Real Estate An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations (research institute, research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countr ...
(''Bundesanstalt für Immobilienaufgaben''), which also oversees the building, the Central Tariffs Office (''Hauptzollamt''), the Bundeswehr Office for Armaments, Information Technology and Implementation (''Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr'') and the Federal Testing Agency (''Prüfungsamt des Bundes''), a division of the
Bundesrechnungshof The Bundesrechnungshof (Federal Court of Auditors; also Federal Audit Office) is the supreme federal authority for federal audit matters in Germany. There are equivalent bodies at state level. The status of the Bundesrechnungshof, its members and ...
, the national auditing agency. It is therefore not accessible to the public except during special events. In October 2008, during excavation for an underground carpark in front of the palace, an early Roman craftsmen's settlement was uncovered."Frührömische Handwerkersiedlung vor Koblenzer Schloss entdeckt"
'' Rhein-Zeitung'', 30 October 2008
A set of steps wide intended to provide seating was created on the river bank behind the palace in 2009.


2011 Federal Horticultural Show

The city of Koblenz won the contract to host the 2011 German Federal Horticultural Show, and the area around the palace was used as one of the exhibition areas. The palace was opened up to provide a direct route by way of the Schlossstraße from the new central Koblenz railway station to the bank of the Rhine. The entire area was laid out with many different kinds of flowers, pools, fountains, radiating terraces and walls for seating, reflecting the splendour in which rulers formerly lived in the palace. The garden behind the palace was restored to a historically appropriate appearance based on designs by Lenné, using terraces stepping down to the river. The Koblenz ''Lichtströme'' (lightstreams) lighting festival which began in association with the 2011 Horticultural Show featured the Electoral Palace in 2012. The Casa Magica artists' group projected a light show based on
magnetic resonance imaging Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio wave ...
onto the facade.


References


Further reading

* Ingrid Bátori, Dieter Kerber and Hans Josef Schmidt (eds.), Energieversorgung Mittelrhein GmbH. ''Geschichte der Stadt Koblenz''. Volume 1 ''Von den Anfängen bis zum Ende der kurfürstlichen Zeit''. Stuttgart: Theiss, 1992. . Volume 2 ''Von der französischen Stadt bis zur Gegenwart''. Stuttgart: Theiss, 1993. *
Fritz Michel Fritz Michel (17 September 1877 – 30 October 1966) was a German physician, politician, historian and art historian. Life Michel was born in Niederlahnstein as the eldest son of a country doctor. His parents were Theodor Michel and Luise Schi ...
. ''Die Kunstdenkmäler der Stadt Koblenz. Die profanen Denkmäler und die Vororte''. Die Kunstdenkmäler von Rheinland-Pfalz 1. Munich/Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 1954. *
Herbert Dellwing Herbert Dellwing (1940 – 31 December 2010) was a German art historian and historic preservationist. He lived and work in Speyer and Neustadt an der Weinstraße. Life and career Born in Großauheim, Dellwing studied art history from 1960 at ...
and
Reinhard Kallenbach Reinhard is a German, Austrian, Danish, and to a lesser extent Norwegian surname (from Germanic ''ragin'', counsel, and ''hart'', strong), and a spelling variant of Reinhardt. Persons with the given name * Reinhard of Blankenburg (after 1107 – 1 ...
(eds.) ''Stadt Koblenz. Innenstadt''. Denkmaltopographie Bundesrepublik Deutschland: Kulturdenkmäler in Rheinland-Pfalz 3.2. Worms: Werner, 2004. . ; *
Georg Dehio Georg Gottfried Julius Dehio (22 November 1850 in Reval (now Tallinn), Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire – 21 March 1932 in Tübingen), was a Baltic German art historian. In 1900, Dehio started the "''Handbuch der deutschen Kunstgesch ...
, rev. Ernst Gall and Dagmar Zimdars. ''Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler''. Volume 12 ''Nordrhein-Westfalen'' Part II ''Westfalen''. 2nd ed. Munich: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010. * ''200 Jahre Residenz Koblenz''. Exhibition catalogue. Koblenz: Landesarchivverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz, 1986. * Wolfgang Schöller. "Pierre-Michel d'Ixnard, Antoine-François Peyre und der Bau des Koblenzer Residenzschlosses: neue Forschungen". ''Wallraf-Richartz-Jahrbuch'' 53 (1992) 155–75 * ''Das Schloß zu Koblenz''. Koblenz: Staatsbauverwaltung Rheinland-Pfalz, Staatsbauamt Koblenz, 1999 * Lorenz Frank and Anke Behmer. "Das Koblenzer Schloss – Baugeschichte, historische Farbigkeit und Wiederaufbau nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg". ''Burgen und Schlösser'' 41 (2000) 181–85 *
Paul-Georg Custodis Paul-Georg Custodis (born 13 January 1940) is a German architect and historic preservationist. Career Custodis, Great-great-great-nephew of the royal court architect , was born in Hanover during World War II.Die Loreley: ein Fels im Rhein, ein ...
. "Das Koblenzer Schloss – 50 Jahre denkmalpflegerische Betreuung". ''Burgen und Schlösser'' 41 (2000) 186–89 * Martin Engel. "Koblenz - Ein kräftig reduzierter Schlußakkord". I
"Das Forum Fridericianum und die monumentalen Residenzplätze des 18. Jahrhunderts"
Dissertation, Free University of Berlin, 2001. pp. 276–83 (pdf)


External links


Panorama of gardens in front of Electoral Palace before the 2011 Federal Horticultural Show
City of Koblenz

Wichary Media * ttp://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4b8ccf5cb1b3ff3e3d5ce838e4b4d40&prevstart=0&hl=en 3-dimensional model of Electoral Palaceat
3D Warehouse SketchUp is a suite of subscription products that include SketchUp Pro Desktop, a 3D modeling Computer-Aided Design (CAD) program for a broad range of drawing and design applications — including architectural, interior design, industrial and ...
(Google account required)
Casa Magica Lichtströme 2012 work on Electoral Palace facade
with video {{Authority control Buildings and structures in Koblenz Neoclassical architecture in Germany
Koblenz Koblenz (; Moselle Franconian language, Moselle Franconian: ''Kowelenz''), spelled Coblenz before 1926, is a German city on the banks of the Rhine and the Moselle, a multi-nation tributary. Koblenz was established as a Roman Empire, Roman mili ...
Episcopal palaces in Germany Palaces in Rhineland-Palatinate