Marienburg Castle

When King George V (1819–878) of Hanover gave Marienburg Castle as a gift to his wife, Queen Marie (1818–1907), he had no idea that his token of love would one day be one of the most impressive monuments in Germany. In its appearance, Marienburg Castle is reminiscent of a medieval hilltop castle. The fairytale appearance goes back to the Queen's wish for a romantic summer residence.

George V himself was never able to see the jewel created by master builders Conrad Wilhelm Hase and Edwin Oppler between 1858 and 1867 with his own eyes because he had been blind since his earliest youth. And even Queen Marie was only able to live in the castle for a short time, because as early as 1867 she had to follow her husband, who had lost the war against the Prussians the year before, into exile in Austria.

Today, Marienburg Castle has become what Queen Marie always dreamed of: a center for music, art and culture. It impresses with its almost completely preserved interior and the elaborate external appearance. You can also see the state and private rooms of the royal family, the Queen's library with the elaborately decorated parasol vault and the fully preserved palace kitchen.

Independent tours through the castle rooms as well as various guided tours give visitors an insight into a castle in the neo-Gothic style as well as into the eventful history of the Guelphs. Due to extensive renovation work, Marienburg Castle can only be viewed from the outside until further notice.

Star in stone

The English influences on Hanover from the time of the personal union between the British and Hanoverian crowns are clearly visible in the castle and its furnishings. So it's no wonder that the makers of the series "Maxton Hall" chose the very castle that King George V had built for his queen. In the first six episodes of the German series, Marienburg Castle served as the backdrop for the fictional British private school "Maxton Hall". Season one is based on the first novel in the successful trilogy by author Mona Kasten. Production of the second season has already begun.

Royal Hannover

It is not only Marienburg Castle that bears witness to the close relationship between Hanover and the English crown. The Herrenhausen Gardens also provide incomparable royal flair. Once commissioned by Johann Friedrich, Prince of Calenberg, the English kings converted the pleasure garden into a magnificent baroque complex in the early days of the personal union, which was already impressive in its day. The heyday of the Great Garden between 1680 and 1755 was characterized by three regents in particular: Ernst August, Elector of Brunswick-Lüneburg from 1692, his son Georg Ludwig, who was crowned King of England as George I in 1714, and George II, who was born in Herrenhausen Palace in 1683.

© Patrice Kunte

Schloss Marienburg

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