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SCHLOSS BENRATH
Prince Elector’s Palace and Gardens at Dusseldorf
One
of Germany's beautiful small palaces, an example of late Baroque architecture,
the Schloss Benrath Palace outside
of Dusseldorf,
set in
an extensive
park
grounds
of gardens
and pools is smaller than many of the grand European royal palaces, built
as a summer getaway for Palatine Prince-Elector Karl Theodor,
the Wittelsbach dynasty ruler of Bavaria and the Rhineland Palitinate
in the late 1700's. Originally from the border region of the upper
Rhine the
prince
spent most of his years at
his main Palace in Mannheim. Originally begun
on the
grounds
of an earlier
structure
in 1756, but not completed until 1770 after a delay from the Seven Years
War of European succession, the Benrath Palace was designed by Karl Theoodre's
principal architect Nicolas de Pigage in the style of a French “Maison
de Plaisance” as a summer pleasure palace for his wife Princess
Elizabeth Auguste.
Yet,
the Benrath Palace, in its feminine pink shades, opulent halls and flower
gardens was in effect a monument to a loveless marriage. Karl
Theordor’s wife apparently didn’t like him very much and
never set foot in the summer palace he built for her, complete with her
own bedrooms suite looking out on the formal French style garden designed
as a present to her. The Prince Elector who had several mistresses and
illegitimate children, would
visit the place from time to time for some hunting,
but
for most of its time under its original owner, the Schloss Benrath
was mostly home to the servants living in the quarters cleverly
hidden on a concealed floor between the lower and upper main floors.
The schloss didn’t
become a regular residence until after the end of the Napoleonic period
when the Treaty of Vienna gave the lands to Prussia and the grounds became
public property of the town of Benrath in 1911. The palace was damaged
and restored
in both the French invasion of 1795 and bombing of WWII and for a time
housed a school.
Today
the Palace of Benrath is a popular spot for the enjoyment of locals.
Boys play with radio controlled boats in the reflecting pool with its
spouting fountain, joggers run through the extensive garden grounds and
brides have wedding photos taken against the romantic opulent
background with little regard of the irony. The Benrath Palace is now
home to the Museum of European Garden History located in the east wing
of the palace where sculpture, painting, porcelain and horticultural
history are on 
display
in seven halls. A restaurant where visitors can enjoy lunch or a rich
sweet ice cream or Cherry tart dessert is located
next to the museum. Regular guided tours of the main house referred to
as the Corps de Logis are given during the year, with some special theme
tours on the Life of Servants, courtly Table Manners or Court Hunting.
There are also special activities for children showing how people lived
in earlier times. Music concerts and other events are regularly held,
recitals of Handel and baroque period masters. In summer, fireworks and
light shows are held on holidays in the park grounds. One of the more
unique features of the interior is the double dome of the grand hall
with false sky seen through the top of the inner dome, though the palace’s
intricate parquet wooden floors and mirrored halls are mostly devoid
of furnishings.
Schloss Benrath is open from 10am to 6pm from mid April to October and
11am to 5pm from November to April, Tuesdays to Sundays, closed on Mondays
and can be reached by train or S-Bahn from Dusseldorf’s main rail
stations S6, RE 5, RE 6 or by city tram from Jan-Wellem-Platz stop near
the old town (see Dusseldorf
on the Rhine). More
of Prince Elector Karl Theodore’s legacy can be seen in Munich
where the Karlsplatz square outside the Karlstor gate is named for him,
much of the art collection originally house in Dusseldorf and Mannheim
is now in Munich’s Alte Pinakotek (see Munich
Art Museums)
and he is buried in that city’s Theatinerkirche (see Munich
Baroque Churches). © Bargain
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See Also:
RUHR RAIL MUSEUM BOCHUM-DAHLHAUSEN
COCHEM’S
REICHSBURG CASTLE
AIR
BERLIN / LTU DUSSELDORF - BERLIN
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