Bad Homburg Castle

Coordinates: 50°13′40″N 8°36′36″E / 50.2279°N 8.6100°E / 50.2279; 8.6100
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Bad Homburg Castle, with the White Tower (Weißer Turm) in the centre
Aerial view from the south

Bad Homburg Castle (Schloss Bad Homburg) or Homburg Palace is a castle and palace in the German city of

Landgraves of Hesse-Homburg
, it was first built in the 12th century.

View from the park
Dining room in the English wing

All but the keep was demolished in 1660 by Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. He replaced the old castle with a new one designed by Paul Andrich between 1680 and 1685. Its grounds and gardens were landscaped in the 18th and 19th centuries, including the addition of the Gothic House. It was built for Princess Elizabeth, a daughter of King George III of the United Kingdom, the wife of Frederick VI, Landgrave of Hesse-Homburg. The couple had the palace renovated and furnished in contemporary style, including the English Wing. In particular, the British princess realized her passion for garden art, which can still be experienced in the castle park today.

After Prussia's annexation of Hesse-Homburg in 1866 following the

William II and the latter's wife Augusta Victoria
also used the palace as a summer residence and refurbished the Royal Wing.

After the

Hitler came to power in 1933, he offered William II, who was living in exile in Huis Doorn in the Netherlands, a return to Germany to bring him under his control, and Homburg Palace as a residence, but the ex-Kaiser refused. After the dissolution of the state of Prussia in 1945, the palace was taken over by the state of Hesse
. From 1947 it housed the Verwaltung der Staatlichen Schlösser und Gärten Hessen (Hesse Administration for State Castles and Gardens). Today, it is a museum.

Bibliography (in German)

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External links

50°13′40″N 8°36′36″E / 50.2279°N 8.6100°E / 50.2279; 8.6100