Hermitage Bayreuth

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Hermitage Bayreuth: The Vision and Life of Margravine Wilhelmine

The Hermitage located in Bayreuth has its origins in the year 1616 when Margrave decided to purchase an area of forest. This land was located close to Bayreuth. About five decades later to the purchasing, Margrave C. Ernst decided and constructed one deer park at this place. This construction was soon followed by the construction of a fountain house and a grotto.

Decisions to further improve this piece of land was taken by Margrave Georg Wilhelm, who reigned this place between the years 1712 and 1726, who constructed a palace here. The beauty of the palace lay in its surroundings as its three sides were highlighted by the beauty of River Roter Main. The Margrave, being the patron, had a lot more than just say in the construction of this beautifully designed complex area. The Margravial court was highlighted by its simplicity and the same is reflected in the construction as well. The courtiers under his rule dressed mostly in the attire of a monk, they slept in bare cells. It is also believed that they ate simple food made by the ladies of the court and ate with wooden spoons in an earthenware bowl.

Soon when Margrave Friedrich took over the government, he decided to gift this entire piece of land to his wife on the occasion of her birthday. This historical day is dated as 3rd of July, 1735. Wilhelmine, the wife of Margrave Friedrich, soon decided to refurbish the entire complex. Soon the reconstruction of the castle began with the rooms now more magnificently appointed. However, she respected the old architecture and decided not to destroy the beauty of the grotto-like original characteristic of this building. After presenting it as a gift to the Wilhelmine, the construction of the Palace was soon over. As time passed on few other architectural alterations, especially in the garden area were done.

Who was Margravine Wilhelmine?

Although the inception of the Hermitage Bayreuth is not attributed to her, the beauty of this entire complex is certainly credited to her, once this piece of property was gifted to her by her husband as a birthday present. Margravine Wilhelmine was certainly one of the finest women who lived in the eighteenth century. She was the favorite sister of Frederick the Great. Unlike Maria Theresia or Tsarina Elizabeth who had achieved success in the field of politics, Margravine Wilhelmine had achieved excellence in the artistic and intellectual world. She was the true representative of the epoch of change which was attributed to the Age of Enlightenment or the eighteenth century.

On the 3rd of July, 1709, Princess Friederike Sophie Wilhelmine was born. She was the daughter of Friedrich Wilhelm the First, the Prussian Soldier King and his spouse Sophie Dorothea who belonged to the Hanover House.

Sophie was the eldest of her ten siblings and her brother Friedrich who was also the crown prince achieved the epithet of Great when he became the king. After the birth of Wilhelmine, her mother had decided that she would be betrothed to her brother’s son who was of the exact same age as Wilhelmine. This had a rather large political motive behind it, as the marriage between the two would mean closer links between the two dynasties. The Hanover House was supposed to take over the throne of England and this would have meant that Wilhelmine would become the English Queen.

However, this did not happen as the English court themselves did not approve of this marriage. This also led to quarrels between the couple as the dreams of the ambitious queen did not match to that of the realistic king. Thus a decision was made that Wilhelmine would be married to the Crown Price of Bayreuth, Friedrich.

The documented description of Wilhelmine about the journey to her new home in Bayreuth is a clear indication that she was unhappy with the marriage and it was nothing more than a sacrifice which she was supposed to make. The palace in Bayreuth had no glamor as compared to the one in Berlin. On 30th August 1732, Wilhelmine gave birth to her only child, Elisabeth Friederike Sophie.

Wilhelmine was a talented and strong woman and had a lot of say in the construction of palaces in Bayreuth. She also took an active role in painting, composing and even wrote stage plays. It is believed that she even acted and directed several plays.

Bayreuth, as it stood in eighteenth century, was the work of Wilhelmine. It was a place of attractive palaces and parks which were created for the gratification of life. The architecture present in this area is reflective of the personality, thinking and preferences in the art of Margrave Wilhelmine. The construction and beautification of the marvelous Hermitage Bayreuth are also attributed to this figure.

Old Palace of Hermitage Bayreuth

Located a few kilometers outside of this town, the Old Palace, which was earlier known as the Hermitage Palace is positioned. The most striking feature of this palace is the expanded park area which is adorned with slopes that are tree covered, that strikingly rise above the River Roter Main. The creation of the park and the palace is done by Margrave Georg Wilhelm, who was the uncle to Margrave Friedrich.

The isolated and solitary location of the Old Palace was always an intricate part of the design of the palace right from the beginning. This was done since the palace was more of a hermitage rather than an imposing piece of architecture. The then prince used to call all his members of the private order to participate in retreats.

After the decision by Margrave Friedrich to pass on the property to his wife in the year 1735, she decided to extend and beautify the architectural design of this Rocco architecture. The palace was so close to the life of the Wilhelmine, that even today this piece of property is attached to her more than to anyone else. One visit into the Ladies’ Wing of the palace and you can know all about the imagination and mind of Wilhelmine.

Inside the Old Palace of Hermitage Bayreuth

–    The Entrance and the Grotto

The unusual approach to the erection of the Old Palace is clear in its original planning as an abode for spiritual purification. If you see this building from a location then it might just seem like a rough piece of architecture made from tuff stone or just as a cliff face.

The entrance itself is a clear indication of the motive behind the creation of this palace, as unlike other palaces which have grand staircase entrance, this palace has a simple corridor situated right below a flight of stairs.

Right when you cross this corridor, you will come to an abrupt end and an opening into an interior of a very distinct kind. The passage leads to a high domed room of the grotto. The walls of this room are entirely covered with slag glass. The most striking feature of this room, however, lies in the mythological creature which is completely made out of shells collected from the mussels of the local river.

The guests to the prince were brought here and treated with an elaborate display of water. The piping system in this room has not been tampered with till date. Architectural studies have revealed that there are about two hundred jets below the floors to create a beautiful effect of water once it starts to function.

–    The Inner Courtyard

From this beautiful room, move ahead and take a staircase which will lead to the inner courtyard. This room, unlike the others, went under immense refurbishment projects in the recent year. However, special care was given in order to preserve the beauty of the room as is looked during the days of Georg Wilhelm.

The contrasting elements of architecture which was evident in the grotto room are present in the courtyard as well. The most striking contrast, however, lies between the three walls made out of stone and the wall of the Marble hall located on the shorter side of this Inner Courtyard.

–    The Hermits’ Cells

Located between the Festival Hall and the grotto are two wings, where the Hermits’ retreat took place. In each of these two wings, there were about four cells of considerably smaller size. Other than this there was also a living room accompanied with a stove and one anteroom.

Once you have visited this place, you will now enter the part of the palace which was developed by the Wilhelmine. Once the property was passed on to Wilhelmine, the hermitage had lost its initial purpose.

–    The Margrave’s Antechamber

The antechamber located in the Gentleman’s Wing of the Old Palace was once covered in all textile wall. These walls were painted in scenes taken from the life and times of Alexander the Great himself. However, the preservation of these walls was not taken into account and today it lies in shambles.

If you visit here now, instead of seeing the beautifully painted walls, you can simply see a blue covering which was widely used for the purpose of protection of the wall, when the room was not being used by people. This practice of covering dates back to the time of Wilhelmine’s time. Although there is a small patch in the wall that still exists, from where you can admire the beautiful painting of Alexander the Great.  The picture depicted in this patch of wall portrays Alexander pardoning Poros, who was an Indian King.

–    The Audience Room

The most striking feature of this room is the painting on the ceiling, which depicts Artaxerxes, a Persian King, receiving Themistocles, an Athenian Commander. Themistocles is being greeted by the Persian King, as his own countrymen have exiled him from Athens. This painting is the creation of the great Wilhelm Ernst Wunder.

This picture like many others depicts a pattern used by Wilhelmine, which depicts rarely talked or portrayed themes dating back to the antiquity. The common theme that runs across many paintings in different rooms is the exile. This, in turn, depicted the mental condition of Wilhelmine as she herself thought to be in exile in Bayreuth following her marriage.

–    The Corner Cabinet

This corner cabinet in one of the gallery dates back to the 1800’s and was designed in neoclassical style. However, today this cabinet lies in shambles as the preservation project was not undertaken towards this beautiful piece of object.

–    The Large Cabinet

The Large Cabinet in the Old Palace was intended to preserve and display the beautiful porcelain ware. Around the year 1750, the picture on the ceiling of this room was replaced by the beautiful stucco work of Adam Rudolf Albini. With its depiction of Chinese creatures, fountains and parks, the room today stands as an exceptional example of the stucco work that was carried out in the Rocco period.

–    The Margrave’s Bedroom

A room adjoining to the large cabinet leads to the bedroom of Margrave. The painting in the room depicts Zephyr, the Greek god of west wind, who was associated with fertility. This was a common theme to bedrooms during this period of time. Preservation of the wall coverings and the bed was not been carried out properly.

–    The Marble Hall

The Marble Hall in the Old Palace was used as the Festival Hall and is the most prominent room in the Palace. This is located between the wings of Margravine and Margrave. Once Wilhelmine got this room as a gift, she hardly tampered with the original décor of this room. Thus the striking beauty of the room still dates back to the time when the original Palace was built. The walls of this room are beautifully adorned with the local marble. The painting on the ceiling of this room depicts Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. The painting is the creation of Gabriel Schreyer and the depiction stands as an allegory to the absolute rule.

–    The Margravine’s Room

The reference to the owner of this room and palace, Wilhelmine, can be found adequately in these rooms as compared to the ones of the Margrave. Located directly above the doors in this room are her initials SFW, which stands for Sophie Friederike Wilhelmine.

The black stucco work and the silver used in the same are the heraldic colors to the Prussian Empire, which stands as a stark reference to Wilhelmine herself. The painting on the ceiling of this room depicts Roman woman offering Jewelry to the enemies in order to avoid the plundering of Rome. The indication to the sacrifice of the Roman woman is paralleled to the sacrifice Wilhelmine herself made.

–    Margravine’s Audience Room

It is believed that one of the finest paintings in all of the Old Palace is here in the audience room of Margravine. The picture depicted in this room portrays the story of Cleombrotos and Chelonis which in turn depict the fate and life of Wilhelmine herself. Legend has it that Chelonis followed her husband Cleombrotos into exile once he had fought with her father. This stands as a parallel to the life of Wilhelmine as she married Friedrich, keeping the wish of her father and leaving her place for the larger goof of the state.

–    The Japanese Cabinet

This room is marvelously clad with Asian lacquered paintings. These paintings depict the untroubled life of the Chinese court, as imagined by the Europeans.

–    The Music Room

The music room of Wilhelmine stands today as one of the finest examples of Rocco interior for courts. From the architecture dating back to antiquity and to the Rocco era, music stood as the symbol of cosmic and divine harmony. The stucco work on the ceiling of this room depicts the basic theme of this room itself. The painting depicts the mythical singer from Rome, Orpheus, who was so talented that wild animals would be enchanted with his lyre.

–    The Chinese styled Mirror Cabinet

This room containing beautiful cabinets was not a part of the state room suites. The most striking feature of this room are the mirrors which are irregular in shape and cover the entire walls in no strict patterns. The pattern of these mirrors stands in contrast with the traditional taste of the Europeans. The mirrors might indicate towards the theme of fragmentation and ruin. Many scholars, however, believe that the irregularly shaped mirrors stand as a metaphor for nature which stands in complete contrast with the ordered and strict feudal sphere of life.

–    The Kitchen

The kitchen of the Old Palace at Hermitage Bayreuth is where your tour will end. This impressive kitchen from the nineteenth century has a fully functional stove in it. In the year 1852, the kitchen went under refurbishment and latest technologies were added to it. The smoke that is emitted out of this large kitchen is drawn to the underground.

The New Palace of Hermitage Bayreuth

With the addition of the New Palace, Wilhelmine had further added a feature to Hermitage Bayreuth. IN the year 1750, the construction of park architecture began on the very same site where once a hedge labyrinth once stood, towards the western side of the Old Palace.

The most striking feature of this architectural design was the Sun Temple, with two beautiful arcades curving out. The surrounding water was used to plant and breed exotic water plants during the winter season and towards the larger end of each of the arcade was a beautiful aviary.

If you are here and want to understand the true beauty of this place, then one must understand the symbolism attached to the architectural design. The Sun Temple is Apollo, the Sun God’s Palace located in heaven. It is believed that it is from this palace that Apollo every day carries the sun across the world to provide light. The oval shape of the earth is represented in the oval shape of the complex. The aviary on both sides indicates to birds or air, plants to the earth and pool to the sea.

This entire building is inspired by the works of Galli Bibiena, a theatre architect. Galli used to periodically work in the place of Bayreuth. Although, the entire complex and the building stood in the glory of Margrave Friedrich, who was the Apollo of Brandenburg. It is definitely an ill luck that the proper preservation of the inner palace could not be done in time, and the building took considerable damage during the Second World War.

 Court Garden and its History

In the year 1715, Margrave Wilhelm, who had reigned here between the years 1712 and 1726, had decided to extend the deer park which was designed in the year 1664. The main motive behind the purchasing of this land was for the creation of the hermitage, while keeping a summer palace always in consideration. This four sided complex was originally designed by David Rantz, who had initially planted linden trees on the three sides of this complex, in order to form a corridor which would be enclosed with the help of the trees’ shade. The conception of this beautiful garden was done Margrave Wilhelm himself, as he wanted to create a place where the court could imitate the life of simplicity led in a hermitage order.

The most contrasting feature of this garden is the English landscape styled architecture, but the same happened in the eighteenth-century baroque style architecture. The elaborate woodlands of Bayreuth Hermitage which is located on the bend of River Roter Main.

The place for the seven hermitages for court hermits indicates the fact that the paths had existed from the beginning itself. The buildings were then scattered in irregular patterns across the slope on the northern side.

Once the property was passed on to Wilhelmine, she decided to add fountains, pergolas and boskets tot the park which was meant to be further enlarged. One the margravine passed away and the entire margraviate ceased to exist, the care of the park was completely neglected. Decorative items, treillage, formal areas in the garden and the vases were all removed from the place. Many parts of this beautiful park were sold separately.

Once the considerable damage was incurred in the bombings of Second World War, a comprehensive refurbishment project was aptly undertaken. The two main motives behind this project were to buy back the land that was once sold and to restore the park back to its original glory, which stood as a symbol for the place of Bayreuth. Thus the treillage located on the Large Pond was reconstructed, the cascade and the canal garden was refurbished. However, the New Palace was damaged beyond reconstruction.