Lingnerschloss

Lingnerschloss stands in Dresden on the Elbe’s left bank, the middle of the three Elbschlösser. Built between 1850 and 1853 for Prince Albrecht of Prussia, it was first called Villa Stockhausen. The architect Adolph Lohse shaped its classicist form and laid out the surrounding park and vineyard. In 1906 the Odol inventor Karl August Lingner bought the house and turned it into a playful residence. He added a private lift, a small zoo and an organ whose music could be sent by telephone.

The interiors were redesigned by Wilhelm Kreis with help from Franz von Stuck. In the park Hans Poelzig and Georg Kolbe built a mausoleum where Lingner was buried in 1921. The former dining room still shows Kreis’s frieze of eighteen copies of della Robbia’s singers, each panel labelled with its psalm verse. After 1945 the building served as hospital, military headquarters and later as a club for artists and scientists. In the 1950s much of the historic decoration was lost during a conversion.

Today the terrace offers wide views over the Elbe valley. Visitors can walk through parts of the restored rooms and the park. In summer the open terrace hosts a café. Plans include exhibitions, a library and spaces for conferences. The Förderverein Lingnerschloss organises guided tours and cultural events. The former lift shaft and its route up the hillside remain visible beside the house.