Mannheim Palace was built beginning in 1720 under, “Elector Carl Philipp” as one of the largest absolutist Baroque palaces on the Upper Rhine. The Mannheim Court of his heir, “Carl Theodor” enjoyed an outstanding reputation as the centre of culture, art and science. Construction was conducted on the enormous building complex for a total of nearly forty years with the support of important artists such as, “Balthasar Neumann, Nicolas de Pigage and Cosmas Damian Asam”.
Following Carl Theodor's move to Munich and the relocation of the royal household of the grand duke to Karlsruhe, Mannheim Palace was used as the seat of legal courts, schools and as apartments for the government officials. In World War II it was almost completely destroyed. With the reconstruction beginning in 1947 only a few state-rooms were restored.
But since April 2007, the Baroque palace in Mannheim has shone with a new radiance. Accompanying the restoration of the Enfilade on the Beletage (principle floor), the palace was given back its heart. Here, in the state rooms, several hundred original objects, including furniture, paintings, tapestries, china and clocks, reflect the courtly atmosphere of days gone by. A very special jewel of the Rococo age can be admired on the ground floor. It's the former Exhibition Library (Kabinettsbibliothek) of Electress, “Elisabeth Augusta”, the only room in the Mannheim Palace that has been almost completely preserved in its original state.
The permanent exhibition "Art and Culture at the Mannheim Court" (Kunst und Kultur am Mannheimer Hof), which includes selected pieces from the historical collections of Elector, “Carl Theodor”, such as the natural history collection, the gallery of paintings or the court library, is also presented on the ground floor. A small book store and important service rooms round off the new presentation...
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