North Tower - Schloss Drachenburg

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Main Staircase “... Above the majestic stairs incorporating white, red and green marble come the spacious podiums that permit a highly amenable, unimpeded view of the splendid ceilings and wall murals …“. Drachenfels and Schloss Drachenburg near Königswinter on the Rhein, undated, c.1904 In the fi eld of manor-house and castle architecture, the main staircase is seen as the “representative showpiece” per se. It forms the glittering start to the interior of the building and should thus be as magnifi cent as possible. The staircase in a baroque castle was the centre of the building, creating a link within the rigidly hierarchical sequence of rooms. It was the place where greetings were exchanged, a backdrop to the ceremonials of reception and escorting. As such, it was always aligned to the ballroom. As in the baroque era, the staircases built in the manor houses and castles of the 19th century served primarily to reinforce the dynastic prestige and personal fame of the owner, an aim manifest most clearly in the choice of paintings and murals – the whole iconographic programme. When ascending the stairs, the beholder would experience an accumulative effect, Indeed, to appreciate the iconographic programme in full, it would be right and proper to walk the entire staircase. On occasion, you were positively expected to take your time! The Main Staircase at Schloss Drachenburg was once adorned with 24 monumental paintings, of which 13 have survived the castle‘s troubled past. They include portraits of eight German emperors as well as episodes from German history: The Handing Over of the Foundation Stone at Cologne Cathedral and The Meeting of Heinrich the Fowler with Charles the Simple both painted by Friedrich von Keller; The Contest of Song in Nonnenwerth and The Wedding of a Cologne Patrician and an English Princess in 1201, both by Heinrich Heim; and Scene from a Tournament at the New Market in Cologne 1486, by Carl Rickelt. The Main Staircase was (and still is) lit by stained-glass windows in the wall to the east. It is here that the only original stained-glass windows anywhere in the castle have been completely preserved. You see a fi ve-part window with a wickerwork ornament under a tracery rose and an imperial eagle. The openness of the staircase in a house serving accommodation and society purposes demanded that there be a clear separation between the lords and ladies of the manor and the servants, meaning that the latter could only set foot on the stairs to clean them. This meant in turn that extra sets of stairs for the staff and tradespeople were essential. One of these side staircases is still in place north of the Main Staircase, with another winding staircase to the south.
A view from the east into the Main Staircase, postcard 1905 (Archiv Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH) Visible at the top: Carl Rickelt‘s Scene from a Tournament at the New Market in Cologne 1486. Underneath that, you see depictions of two paintings by Joseph Flüggen that have disappeared: The Meeting of Charlemagne with Leo III and, on the right, The Baptism of the German Crown Prince. Main Staircase, photo c. 1971 (Archiv Schloss Drachenburg gGmbH) The photo taken in 1971 shows the paintings with canvas parts cut out. These lacunae in the Patrician Wedding painting and, opposite, the Foundation Stone at Cologne Cathedral painting were reconstructed in the 1970s by a group of young artists at the behest of the last private owner here: Paul Spinat. Paintings now lost completely – such as The Meeting of Charlemagne with Pope Leo III (in the photo the empty space behind the chandelier) – were not reconstructed. 19
Page 1 and 2: Schloss Drachenburg Visitors’ Gui
Page 3 and 4: Intro Dear Visitor, It is a great p
Page 5 and 6: Architectural Decoration The design
Page 7 and 8: Venus Terrace The Venus Terrace pla
Page 9 and 10: „Save the Petersberg!“ The Pete
Page 11 and 12: The Icon of Rhine Romanticism: the
Page 13 and 14: Nordic Summer Houses The second own
Page 15 and 16: Wotan Summer House After Jacob Hube
Page 17 and 18: Sea of Rocks Geologically speaking,
Page 19 and 20: Roland‘s Arch, Rhine Romanticism
Page 21: Nature Conversationists and the Dra
Page 25 and 26: Joseph Flüggen: Sleeping Beauty Po
Page 27 and 28: Looking into the Hunting Trophy and
Page 29 and 30: Lacunae in the Main Staircase paint
Page 31 and 32: Reception Room, postcard 1905 (Arch
Page 33 and 34: For further information about the C
Page 35 and 36: Dining Room, postcard 1905 (Archiv
Page 37 and 38: Nibelung Room with a view through t
Page 39 and 40: West side of the Art Gallery with b
Page 41 and 42: Uhland window with lacunae Found 20
Page 43 and 44: Looking into the Tavern Room with t
Page 45 and 46: Hunt & Billiard Room, postcard 1905
Page 47 and 48: Library and Study Postcard 1903 (Ar
Page 49 and 50: Music Room, postcard 1905 - showing
Page 51 and 52: Layout of the Private Floor Porcela
Page 53 and 54: Preserved glass painting entitled Y
Page 55 and 56: Guest Bedroom, postcard 1905 (Archi
Page 57: Reconstructed stencils in the south

North Tower - Schloss Drachenburg

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