The History Of The Schwerin Palace In Germany

Schwerin Palace, also known as the “Neuschwanstein of the North”, is one of the best castles you can visit in Germany, more precisely in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. What is it about it that makes it so special?

First of all, it is a castle located on the water, which makes a great impression on the visitor, as it stands on an island in the middle of Lake Schwerin, in northern Germany. In addition, it has a surrounding landscape of exceptional beauty, with beautiful interiors that do not clash with the magnificent gardens.

It is currently the seat of the state parliament. It is also one of the best examples of romantic historicism on the European continent that has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

History of the Schwerin Palace, in Germany

Officially, the history of this castle has its origins around the year 973, when the island where it is located was visited for the first time. By the 12th century, German nobles arrived in this town and destroyed all existing buildings.

However, due to its location, it was the ideal place to build a fortress, so they decided to build a new castle, although much larger and stronger. The original building, over the centuries, would undergo a series of modifications until it became a royal residence.

Thus, in the 16th century it would gradually lose its appearance and defense capacity, until it was consolidated as a pleasant royal residence. In the 17th century, the Schwerin Palace received Dutch Renaissance additions during the reconstruction process.

This process was abruptly interrupted by the Thirty Years’ War, which prolonged reconstruction until the 19th century. In its final stage of reconstruction, the palace was influenced by Georg Adolph Demmler, an expert on the French Renaissance.

However, in December 1913 a raging fire engulfed almost a third of the building. This fateful event caused it to be rebuilt again. After the abdication of the Grand Duke Federico Francisco IV in 1918, the castle would become a museum and also the seat of the state government; several restore processes were then executed.

Tour the Schwerin Palace

You can buy tickets in the palace itself if you want to walk inside, since the gardens are free. Inside, you will visit the different rooms of the palace that mainly date from between 1845 and 1857.

The design of these spaces is inspired by the castles of the Loire Valley, and all the rooms in this palace are worth a visit. After going through all of them, you will be able to access a small museum with period pieces and weapons. Of all the rooms that can be visited, we can highlight the 2 most beautiful.

Throne room

The Throne Room is in an exceptional state of conservation, and still contains the furniture and luxuries of that time. Adjacent to the Throne Room we find the gallery of portraits of the former Dukes of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.

Flower room

The other room that we can highlight is the Flower Room. It is a circular room that occupies the main tower of the palace and is decorated with floral and caryatid motifs. You can have spectacular views of the gardens and the lake from the windows of this room.

The ghost story Petermännchen

Schwerin Palace, like other palaces and castles of its time, has its own legend about ghosts. The one in this palace is named after Petermännchen, a jumping dwarf dressed in period clothing who is the castle’s watchman. Legend has it that this ghost grants a reward to those who are honest and good and, on the contrary, punishes thieves and intruders.

Schwerin Palace Gardens, the finishing touch

After touring the rooms of the palace, you can go out to the gardens to start the tour, which you can divide into two parts. The first of them is done through the Gardens of the Island, surrounding the palace.

Once you have surrounded the palace and enjoyed the surrounding scenery, you can cross the bridge to reach the mainland and visit the other part of the palace gardens. The baroque garden, as it is known, is a unique garden in the northern part of Germany. The design of this space fell on the figure of the Frenchman Jean Laurent Legeay, and highlights the great canal that dominates the space.

Throughout the tour, you will come across a series of statues that guard the canal. As you go through it, the views of the Schwerin Palace will be better. As you may have noticed, the images that you will find in this building will be stored for time in your retina.