Ludwigslust Palace in Mecklenburg

Right behind the old hunting lodge, the new representative residential palace of the dukes of Mecklenburg was erected in Ludwigslust by J.J. Busch, from 1772 to 1776. The duke, who enjoyed the reputation of being an educated regent with great knowledge of the sciences, exerted influence on the building process in person. He designed, for example, the figures and their arrangement on the tympanum. Along with the usual personifications of the fine arts and the sciences, as they are typical of the Baroque period, there are some unique allegories such as the figure of hydrodynamics or of surveying.

Soon after the palace was finished, the duke moved into his new domicile and had the old hunting lodge demolished.

In the central part of the palace, the Golden Hall takes up two storeys. Huge windows, mirrors and crystal chandeliers make the festive hall glitter with courtly splendour. The gilded adornments, embellishing the walls, ceilings and doors, are all products of the ducal cardboard factory at Ludwigslust.

The historically furnished rooms in the palace give the visitor an impression of what arts and living culture at the court were like in the 18/19th centuries. A cabinet full of miniatures, precious items of weapons used for hunting and for decorative purposes, stylish pieces of furniture, and paintings by French court artist Jean Baptiste Oudry tell of the dukes' passion for collecting valuable objects. Portraits by George David Matthieu and Christian Ludwig Seehas depict the former occupants of the palace.

The Hunting Hall, now providing a unique ambience for the palace café, reminds one of the dukes' passion for hunting.

The works written by former court composers come to life every year in the summer concerts which take place in the Golden Hall and the church.

The palace park, which is the most expansive landscape park (about 120 ha) in Mecklenburg is also well worth seeing.