The Imperial Palace of Goslar (Kaiserpfalz Goslar) is situated in Lower Saxony, Germany, around 40 km south of Brunswick. Goslar, an Imperial Diet town whose wealth was derived from the lead- and silver mines of the Harz Mountains, was the favorite residence of the Salian emperors (1024–1125).
Imperial Palace of Goslar History
The imperial hall was originally built under Henry III, but it had to be repaired after a fire in 1065 and a partial collapse in 1132. The palace received much attention from late 19th-century patriots and revivalists: in its present form, it mostly dates from a restoration dated 1873–1879, which gave it a 12th-century character. A vast cycle of frescoes by Hermann Wislicenus, celebrating its days as an imperial residence, was added to the upper hall between 1879 and 1897.
The imperial hall at the Goslar Palace stands at the top of an eastward-facing slope, which was used for large official assemblies, and at the bottom of which the royal chapel (was built by Henry III. The elongated plan of the palace, with the hall flanked to north and south by residential blocks with chapels, is similar to the Bishop’s Palace at Bamberg in Bavaria, where royalty also stayed, although it is uncertain which building is the earlier.
The hall itself (47×15 m) has two stories: the enclosed ground floor could be heated by a hypocaust, while central piers support the vast upper story, which has two aisles and a wooden roof and was originally open to the assembly area below through windows with triple arches (now glazed). A central transept opening to a balcony marks the position of the imperial throne, midway along the building.
The staircase porch at the southern end of the hall is built over a passage at ground level, with stairways at either side. On the upper level of the main façade are two arches, each subdivided into three sub-arches, and to either side are molded doorways.
Visitor info
There is a town museum of Goslar inside the Imperial Palace. Guided tours are available daily in German and English.
The town of Goslar can be reached easily by car on A2 and A7 motorways. It is situated 90 km from Hannover and 40 km from Brunswick.
Goslar Palace Location
Imperial Palace of Goslar Address: Kaiserbleek 6, 38640 Goslar, Germany. Get help with directions using the map provided below: