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61-744: The city is most famous for Schwetzingen Palace and the Schlosstheater . The palace grounds also feature a mosque, the oldest in Germany. Although not functional, it was used by Muslim prisoners in the Franco-Prussian War . Schwetzingen is located in the Rhine - Neckar -triangle in the plain of the Rhine river, lying west of the Odenwald and in the east of the Rhine . A small stream,

122-443: A phaeton driven by a footman from London in 1775 for Carl Theodore. In this vehicle, the elector could drive around the park without polluting the garden paths with dung from horses. To allow this vehicle to travel easily around the garden, all the main routes were levelled and a prehistoric grave mound was removed. The vehicle, now located at Nymphenberg Palace was an inspiration to Heidelberg student Karl Drais in his invention of

183-509: A 17th-century hunting lodge built on the foundations of an older moated castle of which it also retains some foundations and walling (hence the slightly irregular layout). The north and south sides of the courtyard are flanked by wings containing former workrooms. Since 1953, the southern wing has been occupied by the Schwetzingen law school  [ de ] . Much of the original interior decoration and furnishings survive. Following

244-474: A divided shield with a golden lion on the upper half on a black background and on the lower half there is a silver ring on blue background. The city flag is white and blue. The lion symbolizes the Palatine Electorate, of which Schwetzingen was a member until 1803. The ring was originally a wheel originating from the seal of an inhabitant who had contacts to the castle of Schwetzingen. Schwetzingen

305-466: A full switch towards the "English" style provoked critical scorn (most notably from the garden-design theorist Christian Cay Lorenz Hirschfeld ). Only the fabriques that Pigage built in various parts of the garden were exempt from Hirschfeld's criticism. The outstanding architectural quality of these small, yet elaborate, buildings was universally acknowledged (Hirschfeld, in fact, objected mostly to their number – he would have preferred fewer of them). On

366-466: A major restoration effort between 1975 and 1991, several of the electoral and ducal apartments were renovated and outfitted with authentic 18th century furniture. These rooms may not have the supreme splendour found elsewhere in German princely dwellings, but they do convey a particularly vivid image of the court's everyday life. The piano nobile contains the common rooms, the residences of the electors and

427-417: A result, the modest building as it stands today is completely overwhelmed by the garden's sheer size and magnificence. It would, therefore, be more appropriate to call it "the gardens and palace of Schwetzingen", and not the reverse. Although the palace ceased to be used after Elector Charles IV Theodore shifted his residence from Mannheim to Munich in 1778, the garden was subsequently reworked. Pigage bought

488-414: A staple of "Italian" theatres). In order to enlarge it, the auditorium's back wall was then pierced with a row of arcades, thus creating a more "box-like" impression. As a result, the theatre can, at least visually, also be considered a combination of the customary "French" and "Italian" layouts, even if the adjustment was, in this case, made mostly for practical reasons. As with the garden, the overall effect

549-412: Is a rectangular room with niches and round windows. This room is accessible from the back of the temple and shows signs of being a secret meeting place. It is dominated by Pan , god of panic and the wild, as a mask above the door indicates. The temple of Minerva, which stands above this irrational space, is thus a monument to human reason and civilization. A temple of Cupid was planned to stand opposite

610-404: Is a reworked version of a work by Gabriel Grupello . She was also the goddess of peaceful arts and knowledge, especially gardening, as is recalled by the relief in the pediment. The walls of the cella are ringed by marble benches; the space provides a place for visitors to the garden to rest, but could also be understood as an imaginary meeting place for possessors of wisdom. Underneath the temple

671-704: Is a state-owned heritage monument, cared for by the institution of the State Palaces and Gardens of Baden-Württemberg  [ de ] . The garden is publicly accessible, while tours are led through the Palace and Theatre. The palace's axis sits on a line running from the Königstuhl (above Heidelberg ) to Kalmit in the Palatinate Forest . There was originally a road running from Heidelberg along this line, traces of which are still visible from

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732-568: Is an advanced technical college for administration of justice, maintained by the state of Baden-Württemberg . The Schlosstheater Schwetzingen , which was built as the Schlosstheatre ("castle theatre") in 1751–1752 by Nicolas de Pigage , is located in the complex of Schloss Schwetzingen, which hosts, among other events, the annual opera and music festival, the Schwetzingen Festival . The theatre fell into disuse by

793-418: Is in many ways a synthesis of conflicting styles. Originally built in 1753, to the plans of Nicolas de Pigage (1723–1796) and in a very short time, it could be considered a pure rococo creation. In the course of a later refurbishment, this was blended with early neoclassical tendencies. In its first state, the theatre, following the example of French court theatres of the time, did not have boxes (these were

854-571: Is located on three major tourist or theme routes: Schwetzingen Palace Schwetzingen Palace is a schloss in the German state of Baden-Württemberg . Schwetzingen was the summer residence of the Electors Palatine Charles III Philip and Charles IV Theodore (of the House of Wittelsbach ). It is situated in Schwetzingen , roughly equidistant from the electors' seats at Heidelberg and Mannheim , and

915-515: Is most notable for its spacious and ornate gardens. Other than these exceptionally well preserved gardens and the palace proper, the compound also features the Schlosstheater Schwetzingen , the principal venue for the annual Schwetzingen Festival . Schwetzingen Palace is first mentioned in 1350, as a fort. It took the form of an ordinary Medieval water castle . In 1427, it came into the possession of Elector Louis III . In

976-488: Is twinned with: Schwetzingen lies relatively favourably between the two autobahns A 5 (with the junction Heidelberg/Schwetzingen) and A 6 (with the junctions Schwetzingen/Hockenheim and Mannheim/Schwetzingen). Schwetzingen station was opened in 1870 on the Rhine Railway , connecting Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Between 1910 and 1938 there was a tramline connecting Schwetzingen and Ketsch , between 1927 and 1973 there

1037-404: Is very homogeneous as well as esthetically pleasing. Well into the 20th century, the theatre had preserved its original stage machinery. This was then lost and replaced with modern facilities, first in the 1950s, and again in the 1970s, when the backstage area was also expanded. During the second half of the 18th century, when the current Schwetzingen garden was created, the "French" formal garden

1098-489: The Castle to the city of Heidelberg , 10 km away on the horizon, truly a remarkable feat of autocratic landscaping. The curving outbuildings of Schwetzingen inspired the smaller Rococo perfections of Schloss Benrath , with its quarter arcs of matching corps de logis embracing a formal sheet of water, built for Carl Theodor near Düsseldorf , 1756–1770. In 1759 Schwetzingen received permission to host markets and

1159-597: The English garden style, with statuary by Peter Anton von Verschaffelt . Also worth seeing are the theatre, the orangery, the bath and various follies , including the temples of Apollo , Mercury and Minerva , the Mosque (built 1778–1791) and the fountain of Arion . The city hall was built in 1821 and expanded in 1889, 1912 and 1919. There are four churches in Schwetzingen: Schwetzingen

1220-636: The Stone Age . Originally it consisted of two settlements, Ober- and Unterschwetzingen, that grew together in the course of the 17th and 18th century. Originally the town belonged to the diocese of Worms , but later passed to the Counts of the Palatinate in the 12th century. The moated castle of Schwetzingen is mentioned for the first time in 1350. It was destroyed in the Thirty Years' War and in

1281-714: The War of the Palatine Succession , the palace was destroyed once more, but the foundation remained in place. The palace received its current form at the command of Elector John William (1690–1716), who ruled from Düsseldorf . John William had it rebuilt under the direction of Count Matteo Alberti , who also oversaw the construction of Bensberg Castle , and the Heidelberg architect Johann Adam Breunig , and had it extended with two wings. The construction took place in several stages from 1697 onwards. For John William,

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1342-485: The velocipede (a precursor of the bicycle). The third court gardener, Johann Wilhelm Sckell  [ de ] was a major collaborator of Pigage. His son, Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell was summoned to Munich in 1804, where he laid out the Englischer Garten . The first director of the gardens under Baden was Johann Michael Zeyher , who introduced lilacs to Schwetzingen. Today, Schwetzingen Palace

1403-404: The "perspective." According to Richard Benz , encountering the "artificial ruins" at Schwetzingen inspired 18th century poets to engage with the real ruins of Heidelberg castle and thus led to the literary "rediscovery" of Heidelberg in the late 18th century. The Roman goddess Minerva is depicted in multiple locations throughout the gardens. The temple of Minerva was planned by Pigage and

1464-587: The Ancient Greek musician Arion , riding a dolphin, which, according to legend, had rescued him after the crew of the ship that was carrying him threw him into the sea. There is also a depiction of a deer hunt by Peter Anton von Verschaffelt and sculptures of the Four Elements . The western and northwestern parts of the garden were laid out as an English landscape garden . Unlike the French garden,

1525-602: The Hilda Hauptschule , four elementary schools (Grundschule Hirschacker, Johann-Michael-Zeyher Grundschule, Nordstadt-Grundschule and Südstadt-Grundschule) as well as a special school, the Kurt-Waibel-Förderschule. Furthermore there are two vocational schools (Carl-Theodor- and Erhart-Schott-School) and the Comenius -School for mentally handicapped. In the left wing of Schwetzingen's castle there

1586-582: The Leimbach, runs through the city before joining the Rhine . Schwetzingen is located in Germany's warmest summer region, the " Rhine shift ". In summer, temperatures sometimes rise up to 35 °C (95 °F) and higher. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is " Cfb " (Marine West Coast Climate/ Oceanic climate ), bordering closely on a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with summer months often averaging above 21 degrees (71 F). The following municipalities, listed clockwise beginning in

1647-401: The air, but are not continuously traversable on the ground. The palace's gate is located on Schwetzinger Schlossplatz. Inside the gate is a courtyard ( Ehrehof ). The gatehouses that flank the entrance to the palace now contain the museum shop and a cafe. On the west side of the courtyard is the main building - the corps de logis , the residential section of the palace. The main building replaces

1708-405: The arc of the vast garden circle. They partly enclose the circle bisected by a wide gravel axis flanked by parterres which centers on a spring-fed water-basin inspired by the bassin of Diana at Versailles, but here expressing the more appropriately water-centered Greek myth of the poet Arion and the dolphins. On the other side at the entrance, a mulberry-tree allée stretched from the centre of

1769-426: The auspices of Nicolas de Pigage, the garden's plan was updated and expanded, while preserving most of its original features. Unlike his predecessor, Pigage was familiar with the latest developments in style. Most of the designs he prepared for Schwetzingen were progressive and up-to-date. However, not all of them were carried out, and as time progressed, the prince's (and possibly also the architect's) reluctance to make

1830-525: The case of the mosque-complex, to Islam and " oriental wisdom ". Recent research has seen a design derived from Freemasonry in the garden, which was combined with Christian ideology. Garden buildings, pathways, gates, and bridges do not just divide the garden into individual sections, but also work together on a holistic level. The bath-house, once accessible only with the permission of the Elector, forms its own small complex, with its own pleasure garden and

1891-421: The deposed Polish king Stanisław Leszczyński . The majority of the sculptures have now been replaced with modern replicas to avoid further degradation from the elements. The originals are on display in the "new orangery" building. The French formal garden is laid out in strict geometric forms. The most important elements are the main axis, the transverse axis, and the circular surrounding path. The front part of

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1952-406: The electors' wives. It is now a museum explaining the operation of the Palace in the time of Charles Theodore. The rooms of the residence of the countess Louise Caroline of Hochberg on the second floor, which were remodelled after 1803, are particularly significant because of the survival of the hand-printed wallpaper made by Zuber & Cie in 1804. The main building was too small to accommodate

2013-788: The following War of the Palatinate Succession ; it was rebuilt by count Johann Wilhelm and his predecessor. From 1720 it served temporarily as the residence of the Elector Karl III Philip (1716–1742) after he moved away from Heidelberg . Later on it served as a summer residence of the Elector of the Palatinate and their court . Schwetzingen Castle began as a simple aristocratic fishing retreat (much like Versailles and Karlsruhe which began as hunting lodges) and had an eventful architectural history, in several phases of construction, especially during

2074-487: The following period, it was renovated several times, served as a hunting lodge, and was destroyed towards the end of the Thirty Years' War . Elector Charles I Louis had it rebuilt for his wife Marie Luise von Degenfeld . During a visit in August 1656, he had already ordered the inhabitants of Schwetzingen to clean away all the ruins, so that stone, wood, and old ironwork from the debris could be put to use by his subjects. In

2135-475: The garden consists of parterres and bosquets . On the palace terraces, there are shields depicting the four ages of the world (golden, silver, heroic, and iron). In addition, there are two gilt statues of Atalanta , which derive from an earlier garden. A unique feature of the French garden is the circular layout centred on the Arion fountain, called the circular parterre. The Arion fountain, made by Guibal, depicts

2196-465: The garden. They form the arms of a crescent embracing the eastern half of the circular garden parterre. The northern Zirkelbau was built in 1748/9 by Alessandro Galli da Bibiena ; the southern in 1753 by Bibiena's student Franz Wilhelm Rabaliatti . Today, the Zirkelbauten are used as a restaurant, cafe, and theatre foyer, as well as for concerts and exhibitions. Much like the gardens, the theatre

2257-491: The gardener Petrie of Zweibrücken , introduced one highly unusual motif, namely laying out the main parterre as a full circle. This remains unchanged and is a prominent feature that distinguishes Schwetzingen from most contemporary creations. Other than that, the first design was fairly conventional, even somewhat antiquated, in character. It appears to have relied heavily on French theorist Dezallier d'Argenville 's influential textbook Théorie et practique du jardinage . Under

2318-602: The lake from the mosque, which is supposed to be symbolic of wisdom. A new, freemasonic interpretation, on the other hand, sees hidden references in the temple to the Temple of Solomon and its architect Hiram Abiff . Practically, the temple functions as a gloriette , with the upper level providing a clear line of sight over the lake and towards the mosque. 49°23′03″N 8°34′14″E  /  49.38417°N 8.57056°E  / 49.38417; 8.57056 Schloss Benrath Too Many Requests If you report this error to

2379-570: The late 19th century, but was renovated in 1937 and given its present name after its Rococo style of architecture and used by the Festival since 1952. Between 1971 and 1974, it was modernized and re-opened with 450 seats for opera and 510 seats for drama. It is the oldest surviving theatre in Europe with boxless circles. Schwetzingen Castle is the city's most famous landmark. Its gardens are also notable, as there are elements of French Baroque and

2440-471: The long side of the lake facing the palace, on either side of the main axis: the river gods Rhine and Danube . The original sculptures are now displayed in the orangery. The lake and all the other water features have been supplied from two waterworks, since the time of Pigage, which use the Leimbach river to drive waterwheels that power a set of pumps. The Leimbach already encircled the medieval castle on

2501-469: The main parterre and the circle of the French garden. Subsequently, the Lorrainian Nicolas de Pigage was manager of the gardens and fountains, as well as the most significant architect in this period of the Palace's history. Pigage expanded the garden to an area of 70 hectares in 1752 and redesigned it according to the fashion of the time. The Palace theatre was opened in the same year. As

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2562-481: The mosque is fully restored and open to the public. A "monument" was already planned to go opposite the mosque in the " parties sauvages ", the southwestern landscape section of Schwetzinger garden, in 1784. An artificial ruin was built by Pigage in 1787 and 1788, which is first referred to as a temple for the Roman god Mercury in 1791. Its cellar-like foundations are built from large sandstone blocks, and appear to be

2623-406: The new, greatly expanded gardens of Charles Theodore began to take shape, plans were commissioned from de Pigage, for a new palace that would have been of a scale on par with its surroundings. However, mostly due to concurrent projects that siphoned off funds (the completion of the gigantic new residential palace at Mannheim and the reconstruction of Benrath Palace ), nothing came of these plans. As

2684-478: The newer, more fully developed landscaped portions, Pigage collaborated closely with the up-and-coming garden designer Friedrich Ludwig von Sckell . The sculpture throughout the garden is of varied quality, including some notable works by Gabriël Grupello and Peter Anton von Verschaffelt , among others. A sculpture of Pan sitting atop a cliff and playing his flute, by the Mannheim sculptor, Peter Simon Lamine,

2745-486: The north, border on the city limits of Schwetzingen: Mannheim , Plankstadt , Oftersheim , Hockenheim , Ketsch and Brühl . The municipal area of Schwetzingen is completely consolidated with Oftersheim . The limits of Plankstadt are only separated by one street from the limits of Schwetzingen. Schwetzingen was mentioned as "Suezzingen" for the first time in 766, recorded in the late twelfth-century Codex Aureus of Lorsch , but there are already traces of settlement from

2806-464: The oldest portions are strictly formal, the newer ones subsequently introduced more "natural" features. However, great care was taken so that the finished work would still form a coherent whole. As a result, Schwetzingen is sometimes described as the principal surviving example of an intermediary style, the "anglo-chinese" garden, but in its diversity actually transcends the boundaries of that particular – and short-lived – style. The first plan, devised by

2867-431: The palace was not yet to be an official summer residence, but a simple hunting lodge. However, an ornate, if comparatively modestly scaled first garden was laid out at the same time, which was retained and embellished by Charles III Philip (1716-1742). Under Charles IV Theodore (1742-1799), Schwetzingen was a summer palace : the court shifted from Mannheim Palace to Schwetzingen during the warmer months. The simplicity of

2928-459: The paths and shorelines in this part of the garden are slightly irregular. The forested parts of the garden were left almost unchanged. The great lake at the far end of the garden is visible from the palace entrance. The location of the lake was originally a walled pool, which Grand Duke Louis of Baden had expanded in 1823, at the suggestion of Zeyher, transforming it into a lake with a natural shoreline. Copies of two sculptures by Verschaffelt lie on

2989-478: The reception rooms required for court social events (feasts, games, concerts, and balls). Thus, two large halls and a theater were instead incorporated into two symmetrical curved outbuildings (the Zirkelbauten ) on the garden side, which had initially been intended to serve only as orangeries . The Zirkelbauten are single-story stone structures, with high windows that double as doors, providing direct access to

3050-519: The reigns of the Elector Karl III Philip and Karl IV Theodor (1742–1799) who, as their answer to Versailles, embellished the castle gardens with some of the finest and most elaborate formal water parterres in Germany gardens . As it evolved, the high central Baroque block of the Castle was extended to either side (from 1747 onwards) in matching curved ranges of glazed arcades that were punctuated by pavilions which followed

3111-473: The remains of an earlier precursor. The temple is three stories high and topped by a tower. It is made from tuff stone. The floorplan consists of a hexagonal main floor, with an attic floor above, and a lantern on top of that. There are marble reliefs depicting Mercury above the entrances of three identical facades. The mainstream interpretation of the structure is that it is a message about transcending mysticism through reason. This interpretation notes that

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3172-499: The residence of the Elector and his wife was, along with the greater informality of the court at Schwetzingen, an expression of a supposedly simpler, untroubled "love of the land." All the artists employed in the court at nearby Mannheim participated in the artistic decoration of the palace and its garden. These included Alessandro Galli da Bibiena  [ de ] and Peter Anton von Verschaffelt . The court gardener Johann Ludwig Petri  [ de ] of Zweibrücken planted

3233-598: The site and flows from Kraichgau in the direction of the Rhine. For the fountains clean ground water is used. The pumps are located at the north wing of the palace ("upper waterwork" with an elevated tank in the modern ministry of finance building). A second pump and elevated tank, which ensures steady water pressure, was hidden at the end of the park behind the aqueduct ("lower waterwork"). The garden contains several structures. The building programme makes philosophical and architectural references to Classical Antiquity and, in

3294-404: The temple has the form of a Roman mausoleum. It connects the three reliefs, which exclusively depict negative episodes from the life of Mercury, with the ancient Hermes Trismegistus , a form of Mercury who was considered a symbol of magic . The building would then be a tomb for the superstition, buried in its own temple. In this connection, it might also be significant that the temple stands across

3355-548: The temple of Minerva in symmetry with it, but this was never realised. The "mosque" (German: moschee ) in the gardens complex is the earliest mosque-style building in Germany. It was built in 1779–1791 by a French architect for the Prince Elector of the Palatinate. Built at a time when the "Turkish" style was fashionable in Germany, it was never intended for prayer but later served religious purposes at various times. After many years of restoration, and at great expense,

3416-595: The year 1850 made the city an important seat of cigar factories and canneries. Also, the cultivation of asparagus gained importance and has remained one of Schwetzingen's claims to fame. These figures are estimates only, official census results (¹) or statistics of the resident's registration office. ¹ official census results The local council of Schwetzingen has 26 members since the last elections in June 2009. Elections in May 2014: The coat of arms of Schwetzingen consists of

3477-561: Was also a tramline connecting Heidelberg with Schwetzingen. In Schwetzingen the daily newspaper is the "Schwetzinger Zeitung", which is a local newspaper published by the "Mannheimer Morgen". In Schwetzingen there is a district court, a notary's office, an internal revenue service, a customs office and an employment office. The city maintains the Hebel - Gymnasium , the Karl-Friedrich-Schimper- Realschule ,

3538-470: Was completed in 1769. It is a tetrastyle Corinthian temple based on a Roman model, the entrance building to the Porticus Octaviae . The reversal of the relationship between the portico and the cella is unique: the cella is not closed off by a wall, but is instead open to the air, and the exterior columns continue within it. A statue of Minerva, goddess of wisdom, stands at the back wall. It

3599-645: Was developed into a baroque city through the 18th century. In 1803 all the territories of the Palatine electorate east of the Rhine , including Schwetzingen were absorbed into the Grand Duchy of Baden and the castle became a residence of the Grand Dukes of Baden. In 1833 Schwetzingen was elevated to city status by Leopold, Grand Duke of Baden . The beginning of industrialization in Schwetzingen in

3660-500: Was gradually being supplanted by the "English" landscape garden as the prevalent style of gardening. The numerous princely estates in the Holy Roman Empire were quick to pick up the change, often remodelling older gardens according to the new taste. The Schwetzingen garden perhaps uniquely reflects this fundamental change in attitude, as its creators actually sought to reconcile the two conflicting styles. Accordingly, while

3721-464: Was very highly regarded in its time. It is a work. A similar statue, by the same sculptor, was unveiled some twenty years later at Nymphenburg Palace . Most of the sculpture within the parterre, and some of the works scattered elsewhere, was acquired at auction in the 1760s. Most of it is the work of then-celebrated French artist Barthélemy Guibal and had previously adorned the Lunéville palace of

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