Thread by @WalkerMarcus

To the Schloss Augustusburg, the Archbishop (and Elector) of Cologne’s former palace.
Former, alas.
#SaveOurRectories

They have banned photographs! Which, well, frankly is the kind of tyrannical, pointless, archaïc (in a bad way) measure that should be clearly flagged in advance so that innocent visitors are not trapped on a pointless, record-less visit!

🚮

I would now be showing you a photograph of perhaps the most stunning staircase I have ever seen but I can’t because some idiot curator thinks that people will “move the furniture”. What a total waste of a beautiful building.

Someone naughty took a picture of the staircase (Not me! I’m very law abiding) so you can see some of it, but not its magnificent ceiling, which properly crowns it. What this schloss should be is one of the key museums exploring the familial and political relationships of the HRE

But it’s not. Clemens August was the Archbishop of Cologne. The dislike between Cologne and their Prince Bishop is why his palace is here, in Brühl, outside the city. That relationship - & the wealth & power that this palace manifests - would be fascinating, but was undiscussed.

Clemens August was also a Wittesbach & brother of the King of Bavaria. He was integral to the major electoral shock that saw the Hapsburgs lose the Emperorship for the first time in 300 years. This would have made for a fascinating display or two, but there was not a word.

This is especially distressing as the palace is filled with portraits of all the dramatis personæ, including Maria Theresa, Frederick the Great. Even more interestingly his story has twists: he fought against his brother in the war but voted for him in the election!

So in short: the palace is wonderful if you want to put flesh on the bones of a history you already know, but will disappoint you if you’re looking for somewhere to visit that will actually educate you (or allow you to discuss your education through the medium of photographs).

By rather enjoyable happenstance, my friend @ElliottWright11 celebrated mass in the chapel where the late Archbishop and Prince Elector of Cologne, Clemens August, (and yesterday’s protagonist) is remembered in the cathedral. A very edifying end to our jaunt to Cologne.