Photo: castles, fortresses and palaces, Augustusburg Palace, North Rhine-Westphalia

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Augustusburg Palace or “Rhenish Versailles”

Castles, Fortresses and Palaces

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Archbishop of Cologne Clemens August began the construction of a new residence in Brühl in 1725. It is rightfully named among the most important rococo buildings in Germany. The best masters of the time from Austria, Bavaria, Italy and France were involved in the creation of the interior, which took several decades. The delighted contemporaries called Augustusburg Palace Rhenish Versailles. In 1809, Napoleon himself duly appreciated it: they say, he was very distressed that the palace in Brühl had no wheels, on which he could take it with him to France.

It is interesting that the invited architect Johann Conrad Schlaun planned quite a modest building with three wings. But when Archbishop Clemens August showed the drawings to his brother - Elector Karl Albrecht of Bavaria (the future Emperor Charles VII), he criticized them as old-fashioned and sent of his favorite architect Francois de Cuvilliés to the aid. And he created a masterpiece. Until 1994, due to its proximity to Bonn, the palace was often used for meetings at the highest level. US presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, Queen Elizabeth II and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev visited it at different times. Nowadays, the castle is open to the general public, although you can get in only in a guided tour. A grand staircase built in 1748 is at the entrance. The author had planned to make it of marble, but there were not enough funds and a mixture of clay and gypsum were used as a building material. There is an unusual exhibit in the private room of the Elector- wooden chair, on which the celebrated Clement August choked the darkie. By the way, he was considered neat in comparison with his contemporaries - took a bath once every three months, and even washed up while hiking!

Augustusburg Palace or “Rhenish Versailles”

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