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When Castles Turned
into Palaces
»As the widow of Duke John of Saxony, I resided in Rochlitz for ten years. Much to the chagrin
of my father-in-law Duke George, who was a bitter opponent of Luther, I promoted the Reformation
in my estates. But when a religious war broke out, in which even brothers and relatives fought
against each other, I tried to mediate. Nevertheless, my heart beat for the Protestant side. The
architecture of Central Germany had already reached its peak even before my time in Rochlitz.
This also gave a distinctive luster to my residence because it was here that the famous master builder
Arnold of Westphalia explored completely new forms and methods of architectural design. His
trademark became the »curtain arch windows« – high and wide windows with arches reminiscent
of gathered curtains. These windows can be found not only in Rochlitz, but also at Kriebstein
Castle and Meissen Albrechtsburg Castle, which is considered to be Arnold’s finest work. There,
his second invention comes into its own: the cellular vault, a completely new technique of ceiling
construction. It is capable of spanning the most diverse floor plans in a great variety of forms.
Thanks to these innovations and the changing needs of their owners, the plain castles gradually
began to give way to a type of construction in which the focus was no longer on defense but on
representation: the palace.«
»AMAZONE«
Elisabeth of Rochlitz (1502 – 1557)
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