The Royal Palace (Polish: Pałac Królewski; German: Stadtschloss) is a palace in Wrocław, Poland. Originally a palace of the Prussian monarchy, it now houses the city museum.
The successor of Frederick the Great, who died in 1786, was his nephew Frederick William II of Prussia (1744–1797). He performed remodelling of the royal palace according to the design of Karl Gotthard Langhans (1732–1808). The remodelling took place in 1795 to 1796 in the classical style. As a result, the wings surrounding the northern courtyard, a new staircase and utility rooms were added.
In the middle of the 19th century, drawing on a Florentine Renaissance style, architect Friedrich August Stüler added a new southern wing (1844–1846) and a new courtyard wings along with the gate and railing (1858).
In 1918 the palace was donated to the city of Breslau. On 20 September 1926 the Palace Museum (Schlossmuseum) was opened, displaying an exposition devoted to Frederick the Great, reconstruction of original interiors, and a collection of Silesian art.
1945-present
In May 1945 the palace was heavily damaged during the siege of the city at the end of the Second World War. Breslau was transferred from Germany to Poland after the war and renamed Wrocław. In the 1960s the palace was partially demolished, while the remaining wings were adapted to host the Archaeological Museum (until 1999) and the Ethnographic Museum (until 2004). In 2008 a renovation was finished and a new museum was established, presenting 1,000 year history of Wrocław.
Gallery
backside of the palace from the 19th century, destroyed in World War II
Layout of the palace ensemble in Wrocław:
Central part (baroque, preserved)
Royal Court church
South-West Wing (destroyed)
South Wing (destroyed)
Eastern pavilion (destroyed)
Western pavilion (preserved)
Kitchen Wing (preserved)
North-West Wing (preserved)
North-East Wing (preserved and extended after World War II)
