The Palace and Gardens at Herrenhausen |
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The baroque garden park and palace at Herrenhausen served as the summer residence of the duke of Hanover and his court. It was brought to completion after 1680 under Sophie (1630-1714), Duchess (later Electress) of Hanover. It was begun in 1666 by her brother-in-law, Johann Friedrich (1625-1679), following the model of Versailles, with the construction of the palace and garden. Sophie once said: "The great garden at Herrenhausen is the only thing with which we can show off." G. W. Leibniz, who was employed as court Librarian and Counselor, established an enduring friendship with Sophie and would stay as a guest at Herrenhausen nearly every day when both he and the Duchess were in Hanover. The palace was destroyed by bombing in 1943 and was not rebuilt. Today the garden has lost none of it baroque splendor.
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