Scarcely a visitor to Schwerin will be able to resist the attraction of the palace with its multiplicity of towers and turrets and its many faceted facades. With the unique harmonious interplay with the surrounding parks and gardens and the natural landscape and its artistic and architectural riches the palace presents itself as the largest and most important and also the most modern palace site in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.
The palace is architecturally one of the most important buildings of European historicism. It was built from 1845 - 57 in the neo-renaissance style under the direction of G. .A. Demmler and F .A. Stüler as a new residence for the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. The new building incorporated parts of a 16th century building, which are richly decorated with sculpture. At that time Duke Johann Albrecht I commissioned the clay sculptor, Statius van Düren, who was famous throughout the whole of Northern Germany, to produce terracotta work. The influence of the Dutch renaissance forms on the design of the palace is shown today by the two surviving buildings from the 17th century with steep volute gables and diamond pointed plaster work.
The palace was acquired by the state in 1918. The Staatliches Museum opened in the former palace in 1921 and mainly exhibits precious pieces from the collection of objets d’art, in the historic rooms. This extensive exhibition was made possible by the loan of 2240 pieces by the Grand Duke on condition that they were exhibited by the state, before the land acquired many of these objects in 1930.
The palace was utilized by various institutions between 1943 and 1980 in consequence of the 2nd World War but also as a result of the general rejection of works from the second half of the nineteenth century by artistic circles.
It was an expression of the change in the acceptance of historicism that restoration was commenced in 1974 of the throne room, whose coat of arms, orders and symbolic decoration symbolize, on one hand, the power of the duke himself and, on the other, the dominion of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. This was followed by important inner rooms, such as the genealogical gallery in the ceremonial suite and the dining, tea, flower - rooms and the “Sylvester” gallery in the bel étage. They are witnesses of the high quality of the interior decoration with their excellent marquetry floors and richly sculptured and painted decoration.
The former living, social and ceremonial rooms are now used by the palace museum to exhibit pictures, sculpture, furniture, weapons, medals, jewellery and other objets d’art. The ducal portraits from the 16th century are the oldest paintings and the neo-classical sculptor, C. D. Rauch, is represented by several pieces. It has since proved possible to acquire interesting furniture from the period of historicism; these pieces combine the design patterns of the most important earlier art epochs of Europe in a new synthesis made possible by the new methods of production, that were then possible. In the rooms where the grand ducal children once played there are displays of choice porcelain from Meissen, Berlin and other European factories and of paintings from the 17th to the 20th centuries, including works by B. Denner, J. B. Oudry and the Mecklenburg artists, C. Malchin and R. Bartels. The pieces from the early days of the Meissen factory include some colourful chinoiseries by J. G. Hoeroldt and animal sculpture and figures by J. J. Kaendler, such as, for example, “the hand kiss”. The palace has also been the seat of government of the state parliament of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern since 1990.
The palace chapel is an architectural gem. It was built during the years 1560-1563 as the first specifically constructed protestant church in Mecklenburg. A neogothic choir, with imposing stained glass windows, was added in the 19th century. Some the sumptuous features from the original building have been retained, such as the sandstone chancel and alabaster reliefs with scenes from the old and new testaments.
When the palace was built the castle garden on the palace island was laid out in the English style. The centre piece is formed by the orangerie rooms, connected by a semicircular colonnade.
The palace garden, which is reached by means of a cast iron swing bridge, is a baroque layout unique in North Germany, with a cruciform canal as its axis of symmetry, linden groves and a broderie parterre. The sculptures on the cruciform canal – gods and seasons – are attributed to B. Permoser. The small adjoining greenhouse garden was laid out in the English landscape style according to the plans of P. J. Lenné.