Schloss Richmond facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Richmond Castle
Schloss Richmond
Richmond Castle
General information
Architectural style	Baroque
Location	Braunschweig, Germany
Construction started	1768
Completed	1769
Design and construction
Architect	Carl Christoph Wilhelm Fleischer
Other designers	Christian Gottlob Langwagen, architect, Lancelot "Capability" Brown, landscape architect

Richmond Castle (called Schloss Richmond in German) is a beautiful castle in Braunschweig, Germany. It was built a long time ago, between 1768 and 1769. Princess Augusta, who later became a Duchess, had it built. She was married to Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand. The castle is located near the Oker river, in the southern part of the city. Carl Christoph Wilhelm Fleischer was the architect who designed it.

The castle got its name from Princess Augusta's home in England. She came from Richmond Park, which is a royal park in London.

What Does Richmond Castle Look Like?

The castle is located along Wolfenbütteler Straße. It is built in the Baroque style, which was popular for grand buildings. The castle has a square shape, but its main entrance is at one of its corners.

Inside the Castle

The most important rooms, called the state rooms, are placed diagonally inside the castle. On both sides of these rooms, there are smaller private rooms. There is also a mezzanine floor, which is a floor between two main floors.

The outside of the castle, called the facade, has different sections. These include a base, tall decorative columns called pilasters, and a top border called an entablature. A decorative railing, or balustrade, runs along the roofline. Special parts that stick out, called avant-corps, and grand staircases, known as perrons, make the ends of the main building stand out.

Changes Over Time

Over the years, some parts of the castle's design were changed. For example, in 1785, another architect named Christian Gottlob Langwagen added a special roof window. This window, called a roof lantern, had 12 windows and helped bring more light into the middle of the building.

In 1935, the city of Braunschweig bought the castle and its grounds. Since 1945, the castle has been used for public events. The old paintings inside the castle, which were from the 1700s, were carefully cleaned and fixed between 1977 and 1981.

Exploring the Castle Park

The park around Richmond Castle was created at the same time as the castle, in 1768. It was designed in the style of a classic English landscape garden. This type of garden looks very natural, like a beautiful countryside scene. Richmond Park is one of the first landscape gardens in northern Germany, along with Wörlitzer Park.

Who Designed the Park?

A famous English landscape architect named Lancelot "Capability" Brown designed the park. He made it similar to Richmond Park in London, where Princess Augusta used to live. A cool thing about this park is that you can see long distances from the castle. It's like the park was made to look like a peaceful, perfect landscape painting.

How the Park Changed

Over the years, the park's design was updated to fit new styles. Starting in 1830, Duke Wilhelm hired a gardener named Johann Christian Burmester. He made the park much bigger. Between 1833 and 1838, more buildings were added, like the Ducal Villa and Schloss Neu-Richmond. This last building, also called Williams Castle, is not there anymore. They also added bigger water areas and an island.

The park has been open for everyone to visit since 1964. After World War II, the park was not well cared for. But in 1987, it was rebuilt to look like its original historic design.

Interesting Facts About Richmond Castle

The castle is not open every day. You can only visit it with a guide. Only some rooms on the ground floor are open to the public. These are the three main diagonal rooms and two smaller rooms that face the gardens. The first floor is a private home, so visitors cannot go there.

In 1871, a brewery in Braunschweig was named Feldschlößchen after the castle. Later, a brewer from Braunschweig took this name to Switzerland. In 1876, he started the Feldschlösschen brewery in Rheinfelden.

Since 1982, the Gerstäcker Museum has been located in what used to be the guard and kitchen house of the castle.

Images for kids

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  Wall and ceiling decorations

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  View from the garden side of the Oker river

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  Gerstäcker Museum

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  Central area