Residenz Würzburg

Description

On the eastern edge of Würzburg's historic Old Town stands the Würzburger Residenz, the former residential and representative seat of the prince-bishops. The Baroque three-wing complex was erected between 1720 and 1780 at the behest of the prince-bishops Johann Philipp Franz and Friedrich Karl von Schönborn to designs by Balthasar Neumann. Notable rooms include the vestibule, Garden Hall, staircase, White Hall, Imperial Hall and the Court Church. With the Hofgarten and the Residenzplatz the ensemble was inscribed in 1981 on the UNESCO World Heritage List as an "exceptional Baroque Gesamtkunstwerk".

The building history began on the Rennweg as a replacement for the old Marienberg residence; after a short-lived predecessor building, a decision was taken in 1720 to erect an entirely new structure. The shell was completed in 1744; the extensive interior fittings were not finished until 1780. Significant artists contributed to the decoration: painting, stucco and sculpture created the distinctive sequence of rooms and the sumptuous state rooms, and the staircase received a monumental ceiling fresco by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.

During the air raid of March 1945 the Residenz was heavily hit; the side wings suffered considerable destruction, while central stone‑vaulted rooms such as the vestibule, Garden Hall, staircase, White Hall and Imperial Hall survived. Thanks to rapid emergency measures, frescoes and stucco were largely salvaged, and many movable collection items had previously been relocated. Reconstruction and the extensive restoration took decades; the restoration of the destroyed state rooms was largely completed in 1987 with the finishing of the Mirror Cabinet, and further conservation work followed in the 2000s.

Today the Residenz functions primarily as a museum with more than 40 restored rooms. Parts of the Julius‑Maximilians‑Universität Würzburg, the Martin‑von‑Wagner‑Museum, the Staatsgalerie Würzburg and holdings of the Staatsarchiv Würzburg are housed here; administration is the responsibility of the Bayerische Schlösserverwaltung. The Mozartfest has taken place almost annually since 1921; the Residenz is also a venue for rotating special exhibitions. The association Verein Freunde der Würzburger Residenz is engaged in supporting reconstructions and the urban enhancement of the Residenzplatz.