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Rheinau in Schwetzingen in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, Germany — Central Europe
 

Schloss Schwetzingen und der Schlossplatz
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Schwetzingen Palace and the Palace Square

 
 
Schloss Schwetzingen und der Schlossplatz / Schwetzingen Palace and the Palace Square Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2024
1. Schloss Schwetzingen und der Schlossplatz / Schwetzingen Palace and the Palace Square Marker
Inscription.  German:
Der Ursprung des Schwetzinger Schlosses liegt in einer 1350 erstmals erwähnten Wasserburg, die von den kurpfälzischen Landesherren unter absichtlicher Bewahrung der mittelalterlichen Fassade zum Jagdschloss ausgebaut wurde. Nach Kriegszerstörungen im 17. Jahrhundert erweiterte man das Schloss ab 1710 zu einer Barockanlage, die den Kurfürsten von der Pfalz als glanzvolle Sommerresidenz diente.

Nach der Regierungsübernahme des Kurfürsten Carl Theodor 1743 wurde sowohl der Garten mit dem in der Gartenkunst einmaligen Kreisparterre als auch die „Neue Stadt" mit dem Schlossplatz und den vier nach Osten anschließenden Bauquadraten angelegt. Hofbaumeister Alessandro Galli da Bibiena schuf damit erstmals eine Verbindung zwischen den beiden mittelalterlichen Siedlungskernen des Ober- und Unterdorfes. Das städtebaulich bestimmende Element bei der Anlage von Schlossplatz und Schlossgarten war eine auf den Ehrenhof des Schlosses ausgerichtete geradlinige Allee. Noch heute ist ihr Verlauf vom Fuß des Königstuhls bei Heidelberg bis Schwetzingen und ihre westliche Fortsetzung als Sichtachse bis zur Kalmit, dem höchsten Berg des Pfälzer Waldes gut erkennbar. Diese Achse diente Hofastronom Christian Mayer als,,Basis Palatina", als Grundlinie zur Vermessung der Kurpfalz.

English Translation:
The origins of Schwetzingen Palace lie in a moated castle first mentioned in 1350, which was expanded into a hunting lodge by the Electoral Palatinate lords while intentionally preserving the medieval facade. After war damage in the 17th century, the castle was expanded from 1710 onwards into a baroque complex that served as a splendid summer residence for the Electors of the Palatinate.

After Elector Carl Theodor took power in 1743, both the garden with the circular parterre, unique in garden design, and the "New
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Town" with the palace square and the four building squares adjoining it to the east were laid out. Court architect Alessandro Galli da Bibiena thus created a connection between the two medieval settlement cores of the upper and lower villages for the first time. The urban planning element that determined the design of the palace square and the palace garden was a straight avenue oriented towards the palace's courtyard of honor. Even today, its course from the foot of the Königstuhl near Heidelberg to Schwetzingen and its western continuation as a visual axis to the Kalmit, the highest mountain in the Palatinate Forest, is clearly visible. This axis served court astronomer Christian Mayer as the "Basis Palatina", the baseline for surveying the Electorate of the Palatinate.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1350.
 
Location. 49° 23.056′ N, 8° 34.372′ E. Marker is in Schwetzingen, Baden-Württemberg, in Rhein-Neckar-Kreis. It is in Rheinau. It is at the intersection of Schloßplatz and Karlsruher Str., on the left when traveling west on Schloßplatz.
The view of the Marker along the street image. Click for full size.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2024
2. The view of the Marker along the street
The marker is located along the sidewalk. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: Schloßpl 9-8, Schwetzingen BW 68723, Germany. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on the German Upper Rhine. Globally, it is in Europe, the European Union, Atlantic Europe, Central Europe, the Schengen Area, Western Europe, and the Western World. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the former West Germany.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Glücksschwein / Lucky Pig (within shouting distance of this marker); Altes Gasthaus „Zum Ochsen” / Old Inn "Zum Ochsen" (within shouting distance of this marker); Rabaliatti-Haus / Rabaliatti House (within shouting distance of this marker); Nicolas de Pigage (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Ein Paradies der Tonkünstler / A Paradise for Musicians (about 120 meters away); Im Paradies der Tonkünstler / In the Paradise of Music Artists (about 120 meters away); "Ein Paradies der Tonkünstler - HörBar" / "A paradise for sound artists - HörBar" (about
The view of the Schwetzingen Palace from the street image. Click for full size.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2024
3. The view of the Schwetzingen Palace from the street
120 meters away); Musikerfamilie Ziwny / Ignaz Holzbauer (about 120 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Schwetzingen.
 
The Schwetzingen Palace from inside the the Palace Square image. Click for full size.
Photographed by James Hulse, September 23, 2024
4. The Schwetzingen Palace from inside the the Palace Square
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on October 23, 2024. It was originally submitted on October 22, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 132 times since then and 24 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 23, 2024, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
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Nov. 11, 2026