The magnificent palace is located on Puschkinstraße – the former Königstraße – between Schlossstraße and Schelfmarkt, overlooking the Pfaffenteich. It all began there in 1708 with the purchase of the property. Duke Friedrich Wilhelm subsequently had the Prinzenhof, also known as Ludwigshof, built for his brother Christian Ludwig.
Later, the palace also served as the widow's residence for Charlotte Sophie, wife of Duke Ludwig. She lived here until her death in 1810. After that, the palace stood empty for ten years until it was used by the grand ducal Minister of Finance, Leopold von Plessen. Later, during the reconstruction of Schwerin Palace from 1843 to 1857, the representative palace served as the residence of the grand ducal family, and then it was expanded once again. During this time, court architect Georg Adolph Demmler added a hall extension to the rear of the palace. This brought a castle-like atmosphere, as the new space was visually and architecturally inspired by the throne room.
Hermann Willebrand also realized a residential wing for Grand Duchess Marie at the rear from 1883 to 1884, which served as her widow's residence. After Grand Duke Friedrich Franz IV abdicated in 1920, the palace finally passed into the ownership of the Free State of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
About the style
The dignified yet modest Baroque palace underwent a transformation in 1779/1780 that resembled a new construction. Johann Joachim Busch designed the plans for this transformation, giving the building the style of French Baroque. Elements such as the two-story three-wing layout and the courtyard were preserved. However, the former mansard roof was replaced by a flat roof with dormer windows. The facades were adorned with robust plaster ashlar masonry and decorations in the form of festoons.
