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Museum
CastleMerseburg
Merseburg Castle
Merseburg Castle is a Renaissance-style castle in the city of Merseburg in Saxony-Anhalt. It served as a royal palatinate, ducal residence, and bishop's seat.
Bishop Heinrich von Warin had the first castle built from 1245 to 1265. Under Bishop Thilo von Trotha, the castle was rebuilt as a three-wing complex between approximately 1470 and 1500, with the cathedral forming a fourth wing. Extensive renovations were carried out in 1604/05 under Melchior Brenner on behalf of Duke Johann Georg I of Saxony. The Neptune Fountain in the inner courtyard also dates from this period.
The castle garden, laid out in 1661, is now part of the Garden Dreams Saxony-Anhalt network.
The castle was renovated in the 19th century and became the seat of the Prussian district administration from 1815. Currently, it is the seat of the district administration of the Saalekreis district.
The east wing, destroyed in World War II, was faithfully rebuilt by 1971.
Current Use+
Merseburg Castle is owned by the Saalekreis district. The district administration is now located in the historic complex.
Tours of the castle are possible, and the castle's outdoor areas are freely accessible at all times.
In addition to the "Johann-Joachim Quantz" District Music School of the Saalekreis, the buildings are also used by the Cultural History Museum, founded in 1906. The museum's permanent exhibitions include "Glass Beadwork of the 19th and 20th Centuries" and "Historic Igniters and Lighters."
The Cultural History Museum, an institution of the Saalekreis district, presents the history and development of the city of Merseburg from prehistory and early history to the present day on 3 floors (1800 square meters). The focus is on the depiction of the Baroque residence of the Dukes of Saxony-Magdeburg. In addition to this core theme, other rooms feature permanent exhibitions on glass beadwork and a collection of antique and quirky igniters and lighters.
In April 2013, parts of the castle complex served as a backdrop for George Clooney's film Monuments Men – Unusual Heroes.
Trivia+
From 1893, Ewald Adam Gustav Paul Constantin von Ungern-Sternberg had a copy of Merseburg Castle built in Lindenau near Haapsalu in Estonia. This castle was never completed, and the ruin is still visible.
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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Merseburger_Schloss_2006.jpg?uselang=de
This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.
Location: 51.3589, 12.0010