Eggenberg Palace
Title
Eggenberg Palace
Description
The Eggenberg Palace, begun in 1625 by Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg, is a very interesting exhibition of the way one man's life was changed by political power in the context of the Thirty Years' War. Before Hans' alterations, this was a rather modest medieval family residence, which was incorporated in the much newer and more grandiose palace that stands today. The design was inspired by El Escorial in Spain (Lippman), and echoes its strict symmetry: Eggenberg Palace is rectangular, almost fortress-like, with stout towers at each corner and a central chapel as well. Within the palace is a small and square courtyard, onto which face three floors of open hallways with clerestory arches. The state rooms inside are tiled with black and white marble and feature a curved ceiling decorated by beautiful paintings laid in opulent stucco surrounds; the culmination of these rooms is the Planetary Room, in which a cycle of astrology-themed paintings line the walls ("Schloss..."). Further paintings display mythological, ancient, biblical, and modern history. Many of the more ostentatious aspects of the decor were actually added by later Eggenbergs, but Hans himself did not shy away from ornamentation.
Eggenberg Palace is very much a product of its owner. It had always been the family estate, and the old medieval residence had sufficed, until Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg became an Imperial prince and later Governor of Inner Austria. Coming from a relatively simple Protestant upbringing, Hans converted to Catholicism in order to serve at court and became one of Ferdinand II's closest confidantes, vastly increasing his power and prestige in the process ("Schloss..."). With his new status as a European statesman, the rather modest old estate would need to be transformed into a lavish princely one, representative of his new standing––hence the drive to expand and create a true palace (Lippman). The entirety of the construction took place during the Thirty Years' War, a marked difference from most construction projects during the period, which were largely interrupted by the war. Hans was part of a minority that personally benefitted from the events of the war, as his ascension to power attests; this new power in the context of a wartorn Germany allowed him the capacity to undertake and complete such an expensive and impressive project during a period of such instability. Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg and his castle thus exemplify the importance of individual power in the context of the Thirty Years' War.
Eggenberg Palace is very much a product of its owner. It had always been the family estate, and the old medieval residence had sufficed, until Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg became an Imperial prince and later Governor of Inner Austria. Coming from a relatively simple Protestant upbringing, Hans converted to Catholicism in order to serve at court and became one of Ferdinand II's closest confidantes, vastly increasing his power and prestige in the process ("Schloss..."). With his new status as a European statesman, the rather modest old estate would need to be transformed into a lavish princely one, representative of his new standing––hence the drive to expand and create a true palace (Lippman). The entirety of the construction took place during the Thirty Years' War, a marked difference from most construction projects during the period, which were largely interrupted by the war. Hans was part of a minority that personally benefitted from the events of the war, as his ascension to power attests; this new power in the context of a wartorn Germany allowed him the capacity to undertake and complete such an expensive and impressive project during a period of such instability. Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg and his castle thus exemplify the importance of individual power in the context of the Thirty Years' War.
Creator
Architect: Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
Photo: Hiltibold
Photo: Hiltibold
Source
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schloss_Eggenberg_--_Eggenberg_Palace_(21653950146).jpg
Lippman, Wolfgang. "Architecture at the Time of the Thirty Years' War: Churches and Castles in the German-Speaking Countries." 1998. http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/3347/1/Lippmann_Architecture_in_the_time_of_the_Thirty_Years_War_1998.pdf
"Schloss Eggenberg." Universalmuseum Joanneum. Accessed October 26, 2018. https://www.museum-joanneum.at/en/palace-and-gardens-schloss-eggenberg
Lippman, Wolfgang. "Architecture at the Time of the Thirty Years' War: Churches and Castles in the German-Speaking Countries." 1998. http://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/artdok/3347/1/Lippmann_Architecture_in_the_time_of_the_Thirty_Years_War_1998.pdf
"Schloss Eggenberg." Universalmuseum Joanneum. Accessed October 26, 2018. https://www.museum-joanneum.at/en/palace-and-gardens-schloss-eggenberg
Date
Completed 1635
Photo: 2015
Photo: 2015
Contributor
Maddie Gartland
Rights
Creative Commons 2.0, free re-use
Citation
Architect: Giovanni Pietro de Pomis
Photo: Hiltibold , “Eggenberg Palace,” HIST 139 - Early Modern Europe, accessed May 6, 2025, https://earlymoderneurope.hist.sites.carleton.edu/items/show/159.