The Castle can be visited
CastleMemmensdorf
Seehof Castle
Seehof Palace is the former summer residence of the Prince-Bishops of Bamberg. Located about five kilometers east of Bamberg, the palace now belongs to the municipality of Memmelsdorf. It is surrounded by a large garden, which was formerly designed in the Rococo style. The area of the complex covers about 21 hectares. In the immediate vicinity, pond farming is practiced for carp breeding.
As early as the 15th century, a hunting lodge was built on the site of the present complex. The four-winged palace building with its striking corner towers was commissioned by the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg, Marquard Sebastian Schenk von Stauffenberg. The plan came from Antonio Petrini, construction began in 1687 and was completed in 1696. After its patron, the palace is also called Marquardsburg; its four-winged layout resembles Johannisburg Palace in Aschaffenburg.
The garden complex in its current size was added to the palace by Prince-Bishop Lothar Franz von Schönborn and equipped with fountains, wells, bosquets, and a hedge theater. The peak of garden art was reached under Prince-Bishop Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim, who, between 1757 and 1779, among other things, created a labyrinth that no longer exists, had water features built, and provided rich sculptural decoration. The figures were executed by the Bamberg court sculptor Ferdinand Tietz, who also worked for the garden in Veitshöchheim.
Sculptures by Ferdinand Tietz also adorn the rose garden of the Bamberg Residence.
After secularization, the palace and garden came into private ownership and fell into disrepair over the following 150 years. The furnishings were gradually sold off, the elaborate garden was left to itself, the cascade was filled in, and all sculptures were moved to other locations. Parts of the sold furnishings are now displayed, for example, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. In 1975, the Free State of Bavaria acquired the property. After extensive renovation of the main building, which lasted until the 1990s, nine showrooms within the palace are accessible to the public. Art objects could also be gradually repurchased.
The entire complex today presents itself as a rectangular garden, divided into six rectangles separated by paths. The palace is centrally located, and the paths are designed as avenues. The original garden design is no longer recognizable; most areas are covered with lawn, the middle rectangles feature loose tree stands, and another contains a bosquet area.
Cascade, Water Pipeline, and Tunnel+
Adam Friedrich von Seinsheim initiated the construction of a representative cascade; planning began in 1761, construction started in 1764, and it was put into operation in 1771. Johann Michael Fischer carried out the planning, and Ferdinand Tietz was responsible for the artistic design. To ensure a sufficient water supply with adequate head for the palace and the water features in the garden, a water pipeline and later a tunnel were built. Several sources were used; the water pipeline, which was partly designed as a pressure pipeline, had a length of about six kilometers. In 1764, construction began on a walkable tunnel through the Schammelsberg. The execution was carried out using mining methods in a counter-heading process with the aid of an orientation shaft. The tunnel passes through the solid rock; in other places, a vaulted lining was necessary. Water was conveyed in a covered channel on the tunnel floor. The tunnel has a length of 640 meters. After some disfiguring interventions that also affected the stability of the structure, the cascade was in a desolate state at the time of Seehof's acquisition by the Free State. The parts of the cascade that could no longer be preserved can be viewed with other sculptures in the Ferdinand Tietz Museum in the western orangery of the palace. After years of restoration work by a team of stonemasons and restorers, the restored cascade was put back into operation on July 22, 1995.
Orangery+
The orangery buildings with the Memmelsdorf Gate and the later added greenhouses on both sides are among the most important orangery buildings in Franconia. The original orangery was already built around 1723 by Lothar Franz von Schönborn. From 1733, under the planning of Balthasar Neumann, the orangeries on the north side of the pleasure garden were renewed by Friedrich Karl, Prince-Bishop of Bamberg since 1729. The construction work was carried out by Justus Heinrich Dientzenhofer. The spacious complex served as a wintering house for orange trees and other exotic plants. Since 1997, the Ferdinand Tietz Museum has been housed in the western orangery.
Administration+
After the acquisition of the palace by the Free State of Bavaria, the building is used by the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation (BLfD) and managed by the Bavarian Palace Administration.
Regular Events+
- Early June: Spring at Seehof Palace (Chamber Music Festival)
- Early August: Summer Serenades Seehof Palace (Chamber Music Festival)
Take Mobile History with you
You are reading this text for free. Premium adds what matters on the road: descriptions read aloud, sites found through your camera, whole regions taken offline.
- Every description, including the ~17,700 Premium sites
- Audio guide: have descriptions read to you on location
- AR finder: see sites through your camera, with distance and bearing
- Unlimited saved sites
14 days free, then from €2.99 a month. Cancel anytime.
Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: Mobile Geschichte
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: 49.9269, 10.9478