TheNeuburg Castle (German:Schloss Neuburg) is a palace inNeuburg an der Donau,Upper Bavaria.
The original castle was built in the early Middle Ages by theAgilolfings. This was acquired by theWittelsbach dukes in 1247.
When Count PalatineOtto Henry began his rule inPalatinate-Neuburg in 1522, he found a medieval fortified castle in his residence city of Neuburg, which, unlike similar princely residences was still not adjusted for the demands of a modern court. So from 1527 he ordered to re-design the castle into aRenaissance palace and to expand the artistic quality and condition to one of the most important palaces of the first half of the 16th Century in Germany. From 1537 an additional west wing was added which also includes the chapel.
The chapel is the oldest newly built protestant church in the world, although construction of the shell began as a catholic court chapel in 1537, with a smallapse, in which the altar with a crucifixion group, commissioned in 1540, is placed. In 1541 elector Otto Henry converted to the newLutheran protestantism, and from 1542 the Salzburg church painterHans Bocksberger der Ältere lavishly decorated the chapel with painted ceiling vaults and galleries in the latest antique-style Italian manner. The picture program not only thematized the decisive role of Christ as divine guarantor of grace, the central lutheran doctrine. It also claims a decisive role of the prince in the distribution of this grace within a God-given earthly order. The court chapel was consecrated on 25 April 1543 by the reformed theologianAndreas Osiander. It was thus the first newly built protestant church, an honor often attributed to the court chapel ofHartenfels Castle atTorgau which was built in 1443-44 and consecrated byMartin Luther on 5 October 1544.
Because of the financial difficulties and bankruptcy of Otto Henry in 1544, the construction of the west wing of the castle took a long time.Wolfgang, Count Palatine of Zweibrücken, who succeeded his cousin Otto Henry in the Duchy of Palatinate-Neuburg, ordered in 1562 to decorate the west wing facing the courtyard with elaborateSgraffito decorations. The Knights' Hall (the lower panel room in north building) was provided in 1575 by Hans Pihel with a coffered ceiling and wall panels from a rotating timber, both of which are original. The impressive east wing was rebuilt in 1665 byPhilip William, Elector Palatine in theBaroque style and complemented with two round towers.
Today the castle houses a gallery of baroque paintings, the museum is under supervision of theBavarian State Picture Collection.
48°44′13″N11°10′52″E / 48.737°N 11.181°E /48.737; 11.181
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