Neues Schloss

The Neues Schloss stands on a hill above Lake Constance in Meersburg. Built in 1710 for the Prince-Bishop of Constance, it replaced an older residence. Johann Franz II. von Stauffenberg began the work, with Christoph Gessinger designing the first version. The building lacked grandeur at first, with no grand staircase or lavish decorations. Hugo Damian von Schönborn took over in 1740 and commissioned Johann Georg Stahl to improve the palace. Balthasar Neumann’s plans introduced a sweeping staircase and refined details. The palace’s chapel was added between 1741 and 1743, designed by Neumann. Gottfried Bernhard Göz painted its frescoes, while Joseph Anton Feuchtmayer carved its statues. Later, Cardinal Franz Konrad von Rodt had the facade rebuilt in the Rococo style under Franz Anton Bagnatos. Giuseppe Appiani decorated the interior with large paintings, including works over the staircase and ballroom. After secularisation in 1803, the building served many purposes, including a school for the deaf. Today the Neues Schloss houses museums on its upper floors. The Fürstbischöfliche Schlossmuseum displays rooms restored to their 18th-century appearance. A garden terrace at the rear overlooks the town, the ferry port and the Swiss shore. Below the facade sits a large clock showing Chronos, the god of time. The chapel on the left is now used by the Evangelical Church. A wrought-iron gate near the Burg Meersburg leads to the terrace.