Schaezlerpalais

The story of the Schaezlerpalais begins long before its current Rococo splendour, with records of a building on this very spot dating back to 1346. By 1499, a grander structure stood here, commissioned by Imperial Councillor Philipp Adler, where none other than Emperor Maximilian I himself would often take lodging. It was within these very walls that Adler's daughter, Anna, gave birth to Philippine Welser, a woman whose life story became intertwined with the Habsburg dynasty through her marriage to Archduke Ferdinand II. The real transformation began in 1764 when Benedikt Adam Liebert, a banker whose family had grown wealthy through the silver trade in Augsburg, acquired the property. With his family recently elevated to hereditary nobility, a residence befitting their new status was essential. Liebert enlisted the talents of Karl Albert von Lespilliez, the Munich court architect, to design an entirely new palace, embarking on a four-and-a-half-year construction project that would result in the exquisite Rococo masterpiece we see today. The interior was lavished with detail, featuring richly carved panelling by Placidus Verhelst, opulent stucco by Franz Xaver Feichtmayr d. J., and a magnificent ceiling painting 'Mercury and World Trade' by Gregorio Guglielmi. The palace's grand inauguration on 28 April 1770 became a legendary event, marked by the presence of a very special guest: the 14-year-old Marie Antoinette, en route to her marriage with the French Dauphin. Local lore still recounts how she danced so enthusiastically in the two-storey Festsaal that she wore out a pair of red shoes. Over the following decades, the palace continued to host dignitaries, including King Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, and even opened its magnificent hall for public concerts. The palace's legacy continued with Liebert's daughter, Marianna Barbara, who married Johann Lorenz Schaezler. He gradually acquired all ownership shares, giving the palace the name it carries today. The Schaezler family resided in and maintained the city palace for four generations, a testament to their enduring connection. Crucially, the palace survived World War II without significant damage, a rare fortune. In 1958, Wolfgang Freiherr von Schaezler, in memory of his sons lost in the war, generously donated the building to the City of Augsburg with the profound condition that it must never be sold and always be used for cultural purposes, securing its future as a centre for art and history. Since then, the Schaezlerpalais has become a cherished home for Augsburg's municipal art collections and a gateway to the State Gallery of Old German Masters, cementing its role as a cultural beacon.