Summer Palace (Greiz)

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The summer palace at Pentecost 2013; shortly before the June floods in 2013

The summer palace in Greiz is a small castle in Greizer Park and an example of early classicism in central Germany. It has been owned by the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation since 1994 .

Establishment

C. Werner: Palais im Park , 1838

Generally speaking, the second half of the 18th century is assumed to be the time of construction. The exact point in time has not yet been determined, but based on various indications it is believed to have been in the 1760s.

For this purpose, a diary entry of Heinrich XI. and two oven plates, which are located on the piano nobile. After that, Heinrich XI. on May 14, 1789 that he and his wife Alexandrine were moving from the Upper Castle to the “Maison de belle retraite” (house of the beautiful refuge) on this day, as always, to spend the summer there. This has been "le plus beau amusement du monde" (the greatest fun in the world) for 21 years. Thus, this statement refers to the year 1768, in which Heinrich XI. Reuss older line Obergreiz with Untergreiz Reuss older line to Reuss older line united . This finding is supported by two cast-iron stove plates in the chimneys of the bel étage, which bear the date 1769. A “Maison de belle retraite” must have existed as early as 1768/69.

Furthermore, reference can be made to a memorial plaque on the history of Greiz, which announced for June 1, 1779, Heinrich XI. have the summer palace expanded and decorated with stucco work and wallpaper. This work would be based on the elevation to the imperial prince status in 1778 and the associated social advancement. Henry XI. wanted to adapt the existing castle to the new dignity of a sovereign. Features on the ground floor also contradict a new building in the 1780s.

Previous construction

Friedrich Gottlieb Schultz: Basic rift of the High Counts Reuss Plauischen Residenz Ober Greiz , 1744

The current summer palace was not the first summer residence of the Reuss rulers of the older line of Obergreiz . Two city maps from the 1740s show a facility on the site of the summer palace. In the etching by Gabriel Bodenehr the Younger from 1741, the outline of a three-wing complex at the western end of the park in the curve of the White Elster from west to north can be seen. This building is also marked on a city map by Friedrich Gottlieb Schultz from 1744.

A more detailed description is possible with the help of two floor plan drawings that are kept in the State Collection of Books and Engravings . After that it was a three-wing castle modeled on French architecture. The facade of the Corps de Logis opened in six windows and a central door to the east to the pleasure garden , which resulted in an alignment to the Upper Castle. The corps de logis was surrounded by a staircase on three sides. At the back there was a smaller staircase that led from the house into the Cour d'honneur . The southern side wing contained the orangery and, in contrast to the northern, two-story side wing, was laid out on the ground floor.

An elevation of this system has not been passed down. However, an etching by Johann Martin Bernigeroth from 1757, which, like the two floor plans, is in the State Collection of Books and Engravings, suggests that the Corps de Logis was probably three-story and one story higher than the side wings.

So far, no further representations or written records have been found. It is therefore not possible to determine the erection time.

architecture

Prince Heinrich XI. Reuss to Greiz (1722–1800)

According to the ideas of the well-traveled Heinrich XI. the previous building. Henry XI. had toured Germany, France and Italy from 1740 to 1742 and showed his interest in modern architecture with the summer palace. A French influence and the reception of early classicism can be seen on the basis of the facade, the stuccoing of the former orangery and the furnishings of the bel étage . The client intended to combine the orangery, representation and living spaces in one building.

Structure and exterior view

The three-storey complex with ground floor, bel étage and mezzanine has a flat gable roof with round windows. The orientation to the south gives up the line of sight to the Upper Castle.

facade

Of the eleven window axes , the three middle ones on the south side, which belong to the ballroom on the first floor, are accentuated by a risalit . This is crowned with a gable and, like the corners of the building, framed with grooved pilaster strips . Several steps lead to the main portal , flanked by two hunter figures , which opens into two wings towards the garden room. Above that are the balcony and the windows of the ballroom on the piano nobile.

The gable above the mezzanine windows of the ballroom contains the Reussian coat of arms with the closed princely crown and a banner with the words “Maison de belle retraite”.

North side

On the side facing the park, the central projection is more pronounced than on the south side. He jumps forward a few meters.

ground floor

The ground floor includes the supply rooms on the north side and the south-facing garden room.

Garden room

Originally this was possibly used as an orangery for the wintering of the orange trees. Due to the good acoustics, the hall was used for concerts and theater performances in summer. Festivals were also held here.

The white-framed hall has impressive proportions with an area of ​​36 meters by 7 meters. The stucco-clad beam of the ceiling is supported by two fluted columns. These divide the space equally into two naves. The restrained decor of this garden hall differs significantly from the rococo garden halls .

The jewelry from 1782/83, which consists of stucco work and bas-reliefs and is attributed to a plasterer of the Bossi family , is remarkable . Among other things, the window reveals on the south, east and west sides are stuccoed with frames, rosettes and festoons . The reveal of the portal bears the intricate initials of Heinrich XI. The rich stucco on the north wall of the hall is striking. The wall panels on the narrow sides show a similar wealth of details. In general, the wall windows of the garden room, which are closed off with a flat arch, are divided by fluted pilasters with Ionic capitals and are stuccoed with bas-reliefs. Iconographically, they refer to the use in the time of origin. Garden tools, ears of wheat, garlands, flower arrangements, musical instruments and theater masks are shown alternately in the wall panels. The fields above contain stucco reliefs with putti and flower garlands.

On the side opposite the portal there is a chimney with protruding side panels and a mirror over the mantelpiece. The back wall of the fireplace is a cast iron plate, which shows the Reussian coat of arms with the closed crown and the year 1783. Furthermore, at the height of the pillars on the north wall, there are two porcelain ovens in the form of a pillar fragment entwined by garlands on a square base. These are each crowned with a bust.

Two double doors lead out of the garden hall on the north side. While the western one leads across the corridor to the supply rooms, there is a stairwell behind the eastern one. The curved staircase was built in at the beginning of the 20th century and leads to the bel étage.

Beletage

The stairwell leads to the vestibule . To the south are the princely state rooms. This includes the centrally located ballroom and the apartments of the Prince and Princess connected by an enfilade . The princess's apartment to the west consists of the cabinet with the red fireplace, a retirade that will later be used as a bedroom, and the green corner cabinet with wall brackets for the porcelain collection. To the east of the ballroom in the area of ​​the Prince's apartment are the cabinet with the green fireplace and the red corner cabinet as a counterpart to the green corner cabinet at the opposite end of the enfilade. In the cabinets there are allegories of painting and sculpture as well as allegories of agriculture and cattle breeding. In contrast, the northern side of the bel étage comprises smaller, wallpapered rooms. These include the Chinese Room, the Prince's living room and a bedroom with an alcove.

In the main rooms on the first floor there are three open fireplaces, the hearths of which are fitted with cast iron panels. They bear the initials of Heinrich XI. with the Reussian coat of arms and the year 1769.

Ballroom

The ballroom combines baroque representation with classical expression. It is elevated by the mezzanine and goes beyond the disposition of a salle à l'italienne . At the same time, no pilasters were used and the walls were divided into panels . This includes wide and narrow fields with smaller fields above. Heavy plastic garlands and semi-plastic vases are placed on top of the narrow relief frames. The cornice has a konsolartigen triglyphs - Rosette Fries . There is a mirrored fireplace on the north side.

The middle of the ceiling presents a stucco rosette framed by laurel garlands. This center is surrounded by fields with two eagles holding a flower garland in their beaks. The eagle motif can also be found in the over- portals of the ballroom. Here they sit on a garland.

mezzanine

A staircase leads to the mezzanine. The simple living quarters of the princely family were located here.

Developments in the 20th Century

Until the First World War , the summer palace fulfilled its function as the summer residence of the Princes Reuss older line. In connection with the November Revolution, it became state property in 1918 after the "Principality of Reuss older line" had become a Free State . In 1919 the Princely House and the government of the now existing People's State of Reuss concluded a dispute agreement.

Finally, on February 8, 1921, both parties agreed on a settlement. Subsequently, the princely copper engraving collection and the princely library, which until then had been located in the Upper Palace, were given to the state as the "Foundation of the older line of the House of Reuss". The summer palace should be the future storage location. The Museum of the State Book and Copper Engraving Collection in Greiz opened for the first time in 1922 .

The summer palace was not spared from the effects of the Second World War . However, this damage could already be repaired in 1945. In 1962 the roof of the building was renovated. After that, there was regular renovation work.

On September 12, 1994, the monument ensemble "Summer Palace and Park Greiz" was transferred to the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation.

present

The summer palace from the south (2007)

After a thorough renovation in the years 2005 to 2011, the building presented itself again in its originality, outside and inside. For the renovation there was, among other things, federal funding as part of the monument preservation program “Cultural Monuments of National Importance”.

Exhibitions by the State Collection of Books and Engravings and the "Satiricum" take place regularly in the garden hall and on the bel étage. The garden hall and ballroom are also used in summer for concerts, readings and other events.

The vestibule was equipped with bookcases as a show library in 1922, as were two other rooms on the piano nobile. The mezzanine houses the library holdings, the reading room and the restoration workshop.

The park and palace were severely damaged by floods in June 2013. The Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation spoke of a "catastrophic dimension". According to initial estimates, the cost of the necessary renovation was 2.6 million euros. The art and book collections were saved from the flood. The renovation work on the park and palace had been completed by 2017.

literature

  • Sommerpalais and Fürstlich Greizer Park , Official Guide of the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, written by Gotthard Brandler, Eva-Maria von Máriássy, Franz Nagel, Helmut-Eberhard Paulus , Catrin Seidel and Günther Thimm, Deutscher Kunstverlag , 2nd, revised edition, Munich / Berlin 2014, ISBN 978-3-422-02379-6 .
  • Franz Nagel (Red.): The summer palace Greiz. Research results and overall renovation (= reports of the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation, Vol. 10), Imhof, Petersberg 2012, ISBN 978-3-86568-765-4 .

Web links

Commons : Sommerpalais  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Gotthard Brandler, among others: Summer Palace and Park Greiz. Deutscher Kunstverlag , Munich / Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-422-03056-5 , pp. 12, 27 f.
  2. ↑ Georg Dehio , edited by Stephanie Eißing and others: Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler. Thuringia . 2nd Edition. Deutscher Kunstverlag , Munich / Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-422-03095-6 , p. 516, nevertheless mentions the year 1717 without justification.
  3. ↑ Georg Dehio, edited by Stephanie Eißing and others: Handbuch der deutschen Kunstdenkmäler. Thuringia . 2nd Edition. Deutscher Kunstverlag , Munich / Berlin 2003, ISBN 3-422-03095-6 , p. 517.
  4. ↑ Call for donations 2013 by the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation ( Memento from August 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ Franz Nagel: Built Travel Memory and Princely Manifesto. The Summer Palace Greiz is 250 years old . In: Schlösserwelt Thuringia. Magazine of the Thuringian Palaces and Gardens Foundation , Spring / Summer 2019 issue, pp. 19–21.

Coordinates: 50 ° 39 ′ 28 "  N , 12 ° 11 ′ 32"  E