Masterpiece of Classicism Schloss Wörlitz

Schloss Wörlitz is one of the most famous buildings in German architectural history. It was built for Leopold III Friedrich Franz, Prince and since 1807 Duke, of Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817) according to designs by Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff (1736-1800). Intended as a "model house" for the new style, it was open to the public from the beginning.

With Schloss Wörlitz Erdmannsdorff laid the foundations for German Classicism – a key reason for the inclusion of the Gartenreich Dessau-Wörlitz in the UNESCO World Heritage list. The “new house”, as Prince Franz referred to it with understatement, represented a revolutionary architectural achievement. It is no longer a dynamically arranged Baroque structure with sweeping façades and ornate sculptural ornamentation that greets us, the individual structural elements are now clearly delineated, the surface area of the walls emphasised, the decoration discreet.

Its rich interior design, almost completely preserved, programmatically reflects the prince's mindset, his interest in antiquity and the memories of is travels. There are antique sculptures, Italian and Dutch paintings by famous masters, as well as English ceramics from the prestigious manufactory of Josiah Wedgwood . Erdmannsdorff had numerous rooms decorated with delicate murals and stucco dècor that are based on models from the ancient cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. He had visited them together with the prince during the Grand Tour. The prince's highly developed taste is also reflected in the furniture specially designed for the house. An ensemble from the famous furniture workshop of Abraham and David Roentgen is also among them.

Work on the most urgent renovation tasks was commenced in the year 2000. The restoration and accompanying studies of Schloss Wörlitz were completed successfully in 2020, after two decades.