Artificial ruins Pillnitz

The artificial ruin near Pillnitz, also known as the Gothic Ruin, is located on a hill above the Friedrichsgrund, north of the Dresden district of Pillnitz. It was built in 1785 in the Neo-Gothic style on the site of a former medieval fortification. Its symbol of the transience of all created things is considered a conscious and successful complement to the Baroque Pillnitz Palace, located about 500 meters to the south.

In a deed of gift from Margrave Wilhelm of Meissen from 1403, two castle-like manor houses, a lower and an upper one, are mentioned in the Pillnitz area. The former was located below a certain Schlossberg (Castle Hill) and later became the predecessor of today's Pillnitz Palace. According to a survey sheet from 1600, the upper manor house was located on the Schlossberg at the site of the later artificial ruin, referred to as "the old castle".

Until the end of the 18th century, the area north of Pillnitz Palace remained structurally untouched. This changed in 1780, when the Friedrichsgrund was developed as a hiking area for the Elector and later first King of Saxony, Frederick Augustus III. At the conclusion of these works, the ruin was erected in the Neo-Gothic style, most likely under the direction of Johann Daniel Schade. During the construction of the "Gothic Ruin", parts of the old castle may have been used, thus creating a conscious connection to this former medieval fortification. The construction strictly followed the guidelines of the garden theorist Christian Cay Lorenz Hirschfeld, who had described the construction and the formal elements to be used for such a Neo-Gothic ruin in his "Theory of Garden Art", published in 1780. According to this, an artificial ruin should always achieve the effect of real, formerly used architecture abandoned by humans. He also recommends placing "these Gothic ruins ... very wisely on the edge of the highest elevation of the entire estate", because "from here one has a boundless view...". Furthermore, an engraving in Hirschfeld's work by the Dresden architect Christian Friedrich Schuricht shows a fictitious ruin architecture that is almost identical to the Pillnitz building, except for the tower.

The ruin served the nature-loving Elector and his entourage as a hiking destination, where food and drinks could be prepared thanks to a built-in kitchen. Meals were eaten in the hall of the ruin, which was still covered at the time. It was also used for evening events. An open fireplace served to heat the hall.

The work on the Schlossberg, now often called Ruinenberg (Ruin Hill), was completed around 1790. Further structural changes only occurred in 1872. At that time, a column of honor was erected a few meters from the Neo-Gothic ruin on the occasion of the 50th wedding anniversary of the Saxon King John and his wife Amalie Auguste.

Until 1918, members of the House of Wettin used the area. The Schlossberg, which was always publicly accessible, remained a popular hiking destination thereafter.