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The Electoral Palace
in Mainz (German: Kurfürstliches Schloss zu Mainz
) is the former city Residenz
of the Archbishop of Mainz, who was also Prince-Elector of his electoral state within the Holy Roman Empire. It is one of the important Renaissance buildings in Germany.
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History
Originally the Archbishop of Mainz resided at the
cathedral, where there is an old private chapel dating from
1137.
But in
1475, when the
Chapter re-elected
Diether von Isenburg, conditions were imposed: he had to surrender the town of Mainz to the Chapter, and erect a castle in the city. The construction of this
Martinsburg began in
1478 and was completed two years later. For several decades, the archbishops lived either there or in the electoral palace at
Aschaffenburg, Schloss Johannisburg. After receiving damage during the second war with the
margraves in
1552 the castle was restored in a Renaissance style. Archbishop
Daniel Brendel von Homburg built office buildings and St Gangolph's Church around the year
1580. (In order to make way for new avenues, these buildings as well as the Martinsburg were demolished by
Napoleon during the French occupation of the town between
1798 and
1814.)
The building of a new palace commenced in
1627 on the behest of Archbishop
Georg Friedrich von Greiffenklau. The Rhine wing of the new palace could not be finished until
1678, construction being delayed by the
Thirty Years War and the
War of the Grand Alliance. The original plan is not known, but it was probably a four-wing construction, comparable to the
1604 repairs to Schloss Johannisberg. It can be assumed that Martinsburg remained standing only because of the delays.
The north wing was begun in
1687, ready by
1752, and furnished in succeeding years. Work on the wing extending away from the river was begun during the reigns of
Johann Friedrich Karl von Ostein (
1743—
1763) and
Friedrich Karl Josef von Erthal (
1774—
1802). Erthal was the last Prince-Elector of the old electorate. His successor
Karl Theodor von Dalberg was both Archbishop-Elector of Mainz and Arch-Chancellor of the remaining Empire on the right bank of the Rhine. Due to the resolutions of the
Reichsdeputationshauptschluss
his seat was moved to
Regensburg, which became the new seat of the archbishopric.
Delays were due not only to the War of the Grand Alliance, but also to the extensive building activity of the nobility: for example, the
Lustschloss Favorite begun in
1700 by
Lothar Franz von Schönborn absorbed large amounts of resources. That summer residence was destroyed during the
Siege of Mainz by
coalition shelling in 1793.
On
23 October 1792, the
Jacobin Club, a political group during the French Revolution, was established on what nowadays is German soil. This was the earliest democratic movement in Germany. The last Elector of Mainz was expelled in the same year, and the palace was neglected until
1827, when it was restored by the
Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt and the
City of Mainz.
During
World War II, the building was heavily damaged, especially in the air raid of
27 February 1945, which destroyed most of the city. Of the palace, only the exterior walls remained. It was rebuilt during
1948 and
1949, reopened on
31 December 1949, and was the main venue in Mainz for
Karneval activities until the
Rheingoldhalle opened in
1968.
Architecture
Stylistically the Electoral Palace is one of the last examples of German Renaissance architecture. The northern wing, built later, conforms to this style. The exterior, with turrets at every corner, is richly decorated, particularly around the windows. The roofs have been restored with exactness. The most spectacular interiors included the Grand Staircase by the leading Baroque architect
Balthasar Neumann, which was removed during the French occupation.
Modern uses
Today the east wing houses the
Museum of Roman and Germanic History. An assortment of replicas and valuable original items presents a comprehensive picture of the cultural life of prehistoric times, of the Roman Empire, and of the early Middle Ages.
The north wing contains the famous function hall from which the annual
Karneval TV show
Mainz bleibt Mainz, wie es singt und lacht
is broadcast.
The Electoral Palace is now one of eight venues managed by
Congress Centrum Mainz. There are seven halls and many smaller rooms, enabling events to be staged for up to 1,700 persons.
See also