Ellingen Residence

Ellingen Residence
Residenz Ellingen
Ellingen, Bavaria
Ellingen Residence
Ellingen Residence Show map of Bavaria Ellingen Residence Show map of Germany
Coordinates	49°03′39″N 10°57′56″E / 49.060833°N 10.965556°E / 49.060833; 10.965556
Type	Schloss
Site information
Open to the public	Yes, guided tours

Ellingen Residence (German: Residenz Ellingen) is a Schloss in the Bavarian town of Ellingen, Germany.

A castle has existed at the site at least since 1219. From then and for more than 400 years, it belonged to the Teutonic Order.^[1] As such, it was the residence of the territorial commander of the Bailiwick of Franconia, the wealthiest of the 13 provinces of the Teutonic Order. A number of both medieval and Renaissance buildings have occupied the site. In 1718-1721, the residence was transformed into the presently visible, Baroque palace by Karl Heinrich von Hornstein [de] to designs by architect Franz Keller [de]. In 1775, additional changes in Neoclassical style were made, to designs by architect Pierre Michel d’Ixnard [de].^[1][2][3]

In 1789, the seat of the residence of the Bailiwick of Franconia was moved to Bad Mergentheim, and a few years later the owner of the palace passed to the Kingdom of Bavaria. It was given as a gift in 1815 by the Bavarian king Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria to Field Marshal Karl Philipp von Wrede. The field marshal made a comprehensive re-furnishing of the palace.^[2]

The palace was bought by the State of Bavaria in 1939.^[1] It is today administered by the Bavarian Administration of State-Owned Palaces, Gardens and Lakes and open to the public through guided tours. The administration also rents out parts of the residence for larger events.^[2] The western wing houses Kulturzentrum Ostpreußen [de], a cultural centre dedicated to the history and culture of East Prussia.^[4]

The residence is built in a mixture of Baroque and Neoclassical. It consists of, notably, a church, princely suites, and an adjacent park.^[1] The church is Baroque, as are several of the interior details, such as the stucco work by Franz Joseph Roth [de], frescos, wall panelling and original floors. The building also contains some of the finest Neoclassical interiors in Bavaria, owing both to the work of d’Ixnard and the re-furnishing carried out during the ownership of Karl Philipp von Wrede.^[2] A park lies adjacent to the residence. Originally a formal, Baroque garden (depicted for the first time in 1726), it was transformed into a landscape garden during the 19th century. A few remaining Baroque architectural elements were destroyed during World War II, and today only a single balustrade remains from the Baroque garden.^[5]

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