A Baroque palace from the early 18th century, residence of the Prussian Hohenzollerns, today the Wrocław City Museum with the exhibition 1000 Years of Wrocław.
The Royal Palace in Wrocław, also known as the Spätgen Palace or the castle of the Prussian kings, is a palace complex at ulica Kazimierza Wielkiego 35, right in the centre of the Old Town. For more than a hundred years it served as the Wrocław residence of Prussian rulers, and today it houses a city museum.
The palace was built around 1710 for Baron Hans Ernst von Pein und Wechmar, and the work was continued by his heir Johannes Ernst von Pein und Wechmar. The building was designed by the architect Lucas von Hildebrandt, creator of Vienna's Belvedere, who gave it a Baroque character with a three-storey facade divided by pilasters and balcony portals on the southern and northern sides.
On 6 November 1717 the palace was bought from Ludolph Joseph von Pein by Heinrich Gottfried von Spätgen, who paid 1333 and a third Prussian thalers for it. In 1750 the palace was bought by King Frederick II of Prussia, after which it became known as the Royal Palace. This began a period in which the building served as the Wrocław residence of Prussian rulers from the House of Hohenzollern.
Between 1796 and 1797 Carl Gotthard Langhans added the south-western wing. Around 1845 Friedrich August Stüler built the southern wing in the style of Italian Neo-Renaissance, and between 1858 and 1868 he rebuilt the courtyard, adding classicist north-eastern and north-western wings.
During the Second World War the southern and south-western wings burned down, and their remains were demolished in the 1960s. The surviving part of the palace was restored with funds raised from public donations for the millennium celebrations. Today the palace houses the Wrocław City Museum, opened on 19 April 2009, including the Museum of Medallic Art. On display, among other things, is the exhibition "1000 Years of Wrocław", comprising almost 3000 exhibits, as well as restored royal chambers.
The palace stands surrounded by some of the city's most important monuments. Right next door is the Museum of Medal Art in Wrocław, and within a few hundred metres are Plac Wolności in Wrocław and Plac Solny.
The Wrocław Town Hall also stands nearby, and it is possible to walk to the New Synagogue in Wrocław as well.
Be the first! Add a comment.
You need to log in to add a comment.
Log in