Johannisburg Palace

Schloss Johannisburg was erected between 1605 and 1614 by the architect Georg Ridinger for Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg, Prince Bishop of Mainz. A keep from the destroyed 14th-century castle that had formerly stood on the site was included in the construction and is the oldest part of the castle. Until the end of the ecclesial princedoms in Germany in 1803, it was the second residence of the Prince Bishop of Mainz. At the end of the 18th century, the interior had been restructured in the style of Neoclassicism by Emanuel Herigoyen.

Karl Theodor von Dahlberg, Prince Bishop of Mainz in 1803, retained the territory of Aschaffenburg — turned into the newly created Principality of Aschaffenburg — and was awarded other territories in compensation for Mainz, which was annexed by France. From 1810-1813, Aschaffenburg was part of the Grand Duchy of Frankfurt. Aschaffenburg and Schloss Johannisburg then passed to the Kingdom of Bavaria.

During the reign of Ludwig I, Schloss Johannisburg served as the summer residence of the King. He commissioned the construction of a Roman villa known as Pompejanum within sight of the palace.

The palace was nearly destroyed in the last days of World War II and took about twenty years to fully restore.

The castle is one of the main attractions of Aschaffenburg and its landmark. Schloss Johannisburg is one of the most important buildings of the Renaissance period in Germany. It is open to the public and hosts several museums:

• Gallery of paintings (with works by Lucas Cranach the Elder)
• Paramentenkammer of the palace chapel (with vestments from the former treasury of Mainz Cathedral)
• The residential rooms (furnished in Neoclassical style) and the Municipal Palace Museum (arts and handicraft

There is also the world's largest collection of architectural models made from cork, built by court confectioner Carl May and his son after 1792.

Address
Schloßplatz 4, Aschaffenburg, Germany

Established
1605-1614