Friedenstein Palace

Duke Ernst the Pious built Friedenstein from 1643 on the site of a demolished fortress, naming it for the peace after the Thirty Years War, and the result is among the largest early baroque palace complexes in Germany. The Ekhof Theatre inside dates from 1681 to 1683 and keeps its original wooden stage machinery, drums, ropes and sliding wings that change the scene in seconds, still operated by hand for performances; it is one of very few baroque theatres anywhere with working period machinery. The palace holds art collections including Cranach and a cabinet of curiosities, a cartographic collection and the ducal library.

Background

Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, chose Gotha as his seat in 1640. Work on the park began in 1641/42 and on the palace in 1643, with Andreas Rudolph in charge of building to plans by Casper Vogell. Finished in 1656, it was the first Baroque Residenz on German soil completed while the duke who ordered it was still alive, and one of the largest German palaces of its day. A fortress on the site had been first mentioned in 1316. In 1826 Gotha passed to Ernst I of Saxe-Coburg, father of Prince Albert, and the palace became one of the ducal residences of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a house tied to the British royal family through Albert's marriage to Queen Victoria. Several museums now share the complex.

Source: Wikipedia, "Friedenstein Palace"

What to look for

• The Ekhof Theatre - 1683 wooden stage machinery still worked by hand.
• The art collections - Cranach paintings and a cabinet of curiosities.
• The early baroque scale - one of Germany's largest palaces of the period.
• The map collection - a substantial historic cartographic holding.

When to go

April to October; the Ekhof Festival stages baroque opera in the theatre each summer, which is when the machinery is used. Museums close Mondays.

Practical notes

The stage machinery is demonstrated mainly during the summer festival. Museums close Mondays. The complex is large and needs several hours.

Nearby

Erfurt lies east; Eisenach is west.

Key facts