The Old Palace is located on the Old Garden, on the corner of Schlossstraße, with its eastern façade facing the palace. The Old Palace, also known as the Alexandrinenpalais or Erbprinzenpalais, has been an important part of Schwerin's residential ensemble since 1801 due to its courtly use.
Historical background
The Old Palace, also known as the Alexandrinen Palais or Erbprinzenpalais, is located on the Old Garden, on the corner of Schlossstraße, with its east façade facing the palace. Due to its courtly use since 1801, it is an important part of Schwerin's residential ensemble. The palace was built around 1705 for Hereditary Prince Karl Leopold and later also served as the residence of Hereditary Prince Franz until he took over the reins of government. In 1799, Friedrich Franz had the Hereditary Prince's Palace modernized by Johann Georg Barca. The building was extended by four axes to the north in order to meet the needs of Hereditary Prince Friedrich Ludwig and his wife Helena Pavlovna. In 1837, Grand Duke Paul Friedrich commissioned the architect Georg Adolph Demmler to carry out further extensions in order to use the palace as a temporary residence. After the Grand Duke's unexpected death in 1842, his widow, Grand Duchess Alexandrine, lived in the palace until her death in 1892.
Architecture and style
The palace has two storeys and is built in the half-timbered style. It has a hipped roof characterized by large, three-axis mansard gables and dwarf houses. The representative two-winged complex of the palace has been preserved in its original state to this day.
Today, the building is used by the state parliament administration.
