German Royalty Exhibitons

[Marie Valerie]

WOMEN’S BUSINESS : How Brandenburg Became Prussia   I    FRAUENSACHE : Wie Brandenburg Preußen wurde

Special Exhibiton: August 22 – November 22, 2015


WOMEN’S BUSINESS is the first exhibition to focus on the significance that women in the House of Hohenzollern had on Brandenburg-Prussian history. It shows the goals, successes and defeats of the known and famous women of the Prussian dynasty, as well as those who remained unrecognized and forgotten.

The five-part exhibition displays unique loans from collections throughout Europe. They present the international network of Hohenzollern women and the diverse ideas and innovations that these women brought to Brandenburg-Prussia.

The exhibition is being held under the patronage of Sophie Princess of Prussia.

Milestones

The Hohenzollerns came to Brandenburg and Berlin in 1415. They shaped the history of the region, Germany and Europe for 500 years. Focusing on the most important milestones, the development of the Brandenburg electorate to the Kingdom of Prussia and later German Empire will be concisely summarized. Women in the Prussian dynasty played an essential role that has rarely been acknowledged before now.

Networks

WOMEN’S BUSINESS shows that Hohenzollern marriage politics and the development of Berlin-Brandenburg were inseparably interconnected. Marriages sealed political alliances. Not only were territories expanded through marriages, but social, cultural and political connections were also established. Marriages anchored the Hohenzollern dynasty in Europe. The network that these women established reached from Italy to Denmark, and from England to Russia.

Room to Play

In a world dominated by men, women could only leave their marks on their courts when they cleverly made use of their own spheres of influence. Using the right strategies, they could influence history as a royal consort, queen or fashion icon. The roles of these women are impressively personified by their garments: WOMEN’S BUSINESS presents the oldest documented women’s dress in Brandenburg (c. 1460), as well as Empress Augusta’s coronation robe and the uniform of the last empress.

Setting the Course

1527 – At the side of Martin Luther, Electress Elisabeth vehemently campaigned for the Reformation in Brandenburg.

1614 – Electress Anna secured the right to her mother’s inheritance on the Rhine and another in East Prussia from her father, considerably enlarging the territories of the electors.

1700 – Queen Sophie Charlotte brought Italian opera and French garden design to Prussia, and supported the arts and sciences.

1807 – Queen Luise was the first to bring glamour to the Prussian army.

1914 – Crown Princess Cecilie fostered the image of Prussia as a military state wearing uniforms and spiked helmets.


WOMEN’S BUSINESS in WOMEN’S PALACES

Women greatly characterized our palaces. We are commemorating their impact at four authentic locations.

Sanssouci Palace − Elisabeth Ludovika of Bavaria was the only woman to live in the palace of Frederick the Great.

Glienicke Palace − Marie of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach assembled Berlin’s intellectual elite around her.

Schönhausen Palace − Elisabeth Christine of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern and the dangerous liaisons at the court in Schönhausen.

From April 3 – November 22, 2015 at the above-mentioned palaces.





http://www.spsg.de/aktuelles/ausstellung/frauensache/

[Marie Valerie]

The Ernestines. A dynasty shapes Europe

24 April to 28 August 2016
 

Almost 100 years since Thuringian’s last monarchs abdicated, a cultural historic state exhibition will present that glorious and fascinating dynasty of rulers who shaped and influenced the history of Thuringia, Germany and Europe for over 400 years – the Ernestines.

The exhibition “The Ernestines. A Dynasty Shapes Europe” will take place from 24 April to 28 August 2016 on a total of 4,000 sqm of exhibition space at the former residences of Weimar and Gotha. It will present the Ernestines as a Protestant dynasty which presided over the fate of its lands between the Reformation and the Revolution and influenced their destiny for years to come. Members of the Ernestine line are still to be found in several royal dynasties in Europe, for example in Belgium and Great Britain.

The Thuringian state exhibition wishes to generate appreciation of this practically forgotten dynasty which had once been so powerful. Staged at the original sites of Ernestine activity, the exhibition will vividly portray political, courtly and cultural life, displays of splendour from the late Middle Ages to the Baroque era, and the cultural and scientific achievements of the 18th and 19th century under the houses of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Saxe-Gotha- Altenburg and Saxe- Coburg and Gotha, and other lines such as Saxe-Meiningen and Saxe-Hildburghausen. Renowned works from over 400 years of Thuringian and European cultural history await you at the Neues Museum and City Castle in Weimar and the Ducal Museum and Friedenstein Castle in Gotha.

Weimar

The exhibition in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of “Classical Weimar” will highlight the thematic areas of “Empire and Nation”, “Faith” and “Science”. The century-long rivalry between the Ernestines and Habsburgers and the often tense relationship between the Ernestine princes and the Catholic emperor were rooted in a conflict which began in the 16th century between Prince Elector John Frederick I and Charles V. Tireless in their pursuit to expand their influence in the “Empire and Nation”, the Ernestines regarded themselves as defenders of “German liberty”, safeguarding the sovereignty of the imperial princes from centralised imperial rule.

During the Thirty Years’ War, the Ernestine dukes led the fight for the Protestant cause. Precariously situated between the Great Powers of Prussia and Austria, they oversaw the political fortune of their lands within the Empire and Europe well into the 19th century.

The City Castle plays a central role in the section titled “Faith”; the castle chapel is closely associated with Martin Luther’s sermons. Luther was a frequent and avid visitor of the town on the Ilm River. The Saxon prince electors often resided at the castle and did much to disseminate the new principles of Protestantism. While residing in Weimar, the Ernestines rebuilt the Wartburg as a German national monument and symbol of their role as guardians of Protestantism. The third section presented in Weimar will portray the Ernestines as patrons of “Science”. Starting in the early 16th century, the Ernestine rulers promoted the study of theology and nature, advanced the development of their lands, established universities and continually expanded the existing knowledge resources, including the “Bibliotheca Electoralis” in Jena and the world-famous library in Weimar, now named after Duchess Anna Amalia.

Gotha

As with any powerful and noble dynasty, the concerns of “Territory”, “Family” and the “Arts” were enormously important to the Ernestines. These thematic areas are the focus of the state exhibition in Gotha. In the section “The Ernestines and the Territory” the exhibition examines the conflict that territorial divisions presented to national unity, the consequences of which are still evident in central Germany and presentday Thuringia. After the loss of electoral dignity in 1547 the Ernestine duchies were reduced to the central German-speaking region. To make matters worse, the dynasty had splintered into ten side lines at one point. However, this offered fertile ground for diversity. Each line attempted to underpin their sovereignty by establishing new residences. Throughout the land, the dukes built magnificent castles surrounded by spacious gardens and parks. Many of them still exist and hint at the incredible wealth of their former rulers. Friedenstein Castle in Gotha, one of the most significant artistic and cultural historic sites in Thuringia, is the largest early Baroque castle in Germany. Built following the establishment of the Saxe- Gotha duchy in the mid-17th century, its architecture, extensive art collections and original furnishings and opulent interior design of the rooms and halls continue to impress today’s visitors.

The Ernestines were ardent supporters of art and culture. The individual courts were in close contact with one another and intensively consulted on artistic matters far beyond state borders. The section “The Ernestines and the Arts” focuses on the cultural development in the country under the influence of this dynasty. The exhibition will extensively highlight the rich theatre culture, the establishment of important museum collections and the contacts the Ernestines established with painters, composers and sculptors. One the most prominent examples of the Ernestines’ close relationship with the arts is the Ekhof Theatre at Friedenstein Castle, the oldest Baroque-period castle theatre in the world with original, functioning stage machinery dating back to the 17th century.




http://www.ernestiner2016.de/index_en.html