Schloss Neustrelitz

Schloss Neustrelitz once stood in the heart of the Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. It began as a hunting lodge built around 1710 on the shores of Zierker See. After the old castle burned down in 1712, the ducal family moved in and architect Christoph Julius Löwe enlarged it into a three-storey baroque palace with three wings. The city of Neustrelitz grew around the palace and became the duchy’s capital in 1733. By the early 20th century the palace had been modernised again, serving as the residence of the Grand Duke until the monarchy ended in 1918. The palace was a symbol of ducal power and later a government building and museum. In April 1945 a fire destroyed much of the structure during the final days of the Second World War. Under East Germany’s Communist regime the remaining ruins were cleared away, leaving only the cellars and foundations. In the 1990s local groups campaigned to rebuild parts of the palace. In 2019 the regional government and city agreed to restore the surviving basement and plan the reconstruction of the palace tower. Today the palace gardens welcome visitors once more. The restored landscape includes wide avenues lined with lime and chestnut trees planted in the 18th century. Paths lead past statues and a small canal that once supplied water to the palace. From the raised terraces there are views across the gardens to Zierker See. The site remains a quiet reminder of the palace that once stood here and the city it helped to create.