Altes Palais (Damstadt)

The Altes Palais was a grand city residence in central Darmstadt, built for the Hessian landgraves who later became grand dukes. It stood at the southern end of Luisenplatz, where the main guard entrance faced the square. Opposite it rose the Alexanderpalais, built of red sandstone. The palace replaced an earlier post house and waisenhaus site, part of a planned expansion ordered by Landgrave Ludwig X. between 1802 and 1804. The building became the setting for important events in European royal history. In 1892 Prince George Mountbatten was born there, and in 1903 Princess Victoria Alice of Battenberg married Prince Andreas of Greece in the palace. Its grand classical staircase, designed by Georg Moller, was admired across the continent. After the monarchy ended in 1918, the palace housed government offices including the Hessian Ministry for Labour and Economy. In 1944 Allied bombing left it a ruin, and it was cleared in the 1950s to make way for the Luisencenter. The palace formed a sweeping U-shaped complex with a formal courtyard that opened southwards into the Palaisgarten. The main block rose three storeys, its centre marked by a shallow three-bay projection topped by a balcony. Slate roofs carried rows of dormers matching the window count below. Flanking wings stretched east and west, ending in smaller square pavilions. A continuous guard patrol stood before the Luisenplatz entrance, ensuring the dignity of the residence.