Schloss Pirmasens
The Palace of Pirmasens (‹See Tfd›German: Schloss Pirmasens or ‹See Tfd›German: Pirmasenser Schloss) is a former palace in Pirmasens, Germany. Constructed in the first half of the 18th century as a hunting lodge for Johann Reinhard III (1665-1736), the last count of Hanau-Lichtenberg, the palace became later the main residence of Louis IX, Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt (1719-1790). During the French Revolution, the palace was destroyed and later demolished. Today, nothing reminds anymore of the Pirmasenser Schloss.
History
[edit]Reinhard III of Hanau-Lichtenberg
[edit]
The palace in Pirmasens traces its origins to a hunting lodge built either in 1712 or 1720 for Count Johan Reinhard III of Hanau-Lichtenberg.[1][2] Architect was Leonhard Jennewein (1682-1754), a stone mason from Tirol.[2] Following Johan Reinhard III’s death in 1736 without a male heir, Pirmasens and the Hanau lands passed to his grandson Louis, who later became Landgrave Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt.[1]
Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt
[edit]Louis IX began spending more time in Pirmasens from 1741 onward and, in 1757, officially made the city his main residence.[1] He had the old hunting lodge expanded according to his preferences, hiring his grandfather’s architect again, Leonhard Jennewein, who also involved his brother Peter Jennewein and son-in-law, Philip Schiffer.[2]
Ludwig succeeded his father as ruler of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1768. Together with his first minister, Friedrich Karl von Moser, he reformed the state based on the Prussian model. Most of the existing officials were dismissed, and the parforce hunt, which had nearly ruined agriculture in Hesse-Darmstadt, was abolished. The army was expanded, and barracks and garrisons were developed.
Ludwig's personality exhibited some irrational traits, such as his fear of ghosts, and he was mocked by some contemporaries for his "soldier games."[3] However, the Landgrave was deeply caring toward his soldiers and had a particular fondness for military drills and parades. Unlike many rulers of the time, including his relatives, the Landgraves of Hesse-Kassel, he did not engage in the common practice of trading soldiers. [4]
Louis IX also composed countless military marches[5], which earned him the nickname Chief Drummer of the Empire.[6]
The End
[edit]Louis IX did not live to witness the destruction of his palace, as he died and was buried in Pirmasens in 1790.[2] Only three years later, during the French Revolution, French troops occupied the city and completely destroyed the palace.[2] The ruins were auctioned off in 1805 and eventually demolished.[1] Several administrative and noble residences that had been part of the palace complex initially survived but were all destroyed during the Second World War.[2]
Architecture
[edit]
The palace stood on what is now the site of the Schlosstreppen (palace steps) and Schlossbrunnen (palace fountain), built on a hillside.[2] To the east runs Schlossstraße, across from which stands St. Pirmin Roman Catholic Church.[2] To the west lies Schlossplatz, where the old town hall is located.[2]
The palace’s rectangular main building, a plastered structure with nine window bays and a mansard roof, had four stories on its western side and two on the eastern side due to its sloping location.[2] Two ramps led to a grassy parterre on the west side, enclosed by a small guardhouse.[2] Two mansard-roofed outbuildings created an honorary courtyard on the eastern side.[2] To the south, parallel to one of the ramps, stood a long structure that housed stables and a barn.[2] In 1763, the side buildings were replaced by square pavilions, and the guardhouse was expanded into the main guard post.[2]
A large drill house was constructed opposite the palace in 1770, which was demolished in 1806.[1]
Today
[edit]Today, the only surviving remnants of the palace, such as paintings and furniture, are housed in the Pirmasens City Museum and the Darmstadt Palace Museum.[2] Additionally, a triangular gable from a former noble residence and officer’s casino, dating from 1780 and bearing Louis IX's emblem, can still be seen at Hauptstraße 102.[2] It was incorporated into a building constructed after 1945.[2]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "Pirmasenser Chronik". www.historischer-verein-pirmasens.de (in German). Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "Das landgräfliche Schloss zu Pirmasens". www.regionalgeschichte.net (in German). Retrieved 30 September 2024.
- ^ Jürgen Rainer Wolf (1987), "Ludwig IX.", Neue Deutsche Biographie (in German), vol. 15, Berlin: Duncker & Humblot, pp. 392–392; (full text online)
- ^ Wilhelm Oncken (1882), "Zehntes Buch der Lebensabend Friedrichs des Großen. Der Erbvergleich von 1770. Wilhelmsstein und Pirmasens", Das Zeitalter Friedrichs des Großen – Mit Porträts, Illustrationen und Karten, vol. Band 2, Berlin: Baumgärtel, p. 708, OCLC 463170868
- ^ Robert Eitner: Biographish-bibliographisches Quellen-Lexikon der Musiker und Musikgelehrten der christlichen Zeitrechnung bis zur Mitte des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts. Band 6, La—Milleville, Barnaba, Breitkopf & Haertel, Leipzig, 1902, S. 239.
- ^ Ludwig IX., des Reiches Erz-Tambour.
Literature
[edit]- Eckardt, Anton; Erich, Hans (1957). Die Kunstdenkmäler der Stadt und des Landkreises Pirmasens (=Die Kunstdenkmäler von Rheinland-Pfalz. Bd. 2) (in German). München.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Lehnung, Julius (1982). Geliebtes Pirmasens. Heimatgeschichtliche Erinnerungen. Band I. 740-1790 (in German). Pirmasens.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - Bauer, Markus (2015). "Tiroler Bauhandwerker als Einwanderer in die Westpfalz". Pfälzisch-Rheinische Familienkunde 64 (in German). pp. 212–214.
See also: Other palaces owned by Reinhard III of Hanau-Lichtenberg
[edit]- Hanauer Hof - City palace in Strassbourg
- Château de Bouxwiller - The residence in the capital of Hanau-Lichtenberg
- Schloss Philippsruhe - The baroque summer palace in Hanau
- Chateau de Brumath - Summer palace constructed for his daughther, the mother of Louis IX of Hesse-Darmstadt
External links
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