The palace offered space for courtly ceremonies.
Between 1720 and 1742, Prince-Elector Carl Phillip built the extensive complex in the Baroque style as his stage for ceremonies and representation. The undisguised demonstration of power was typical for the time: The palace dominates the entire city. The facades and roofs of the palace bear coats of arms, monograms, and trophies, all references to the high status of the palace lords in the empire. The interior rooms, with their elaboration stucco decoration and heroic ceiling paintings, were designed specifically for representation purposes.
From 1742 to 1760, Prince-Elector Carl Theodor continued to add to the palace. As of 1750, he had some rooms furnished in the style of the Rococo. Furniture from this time can now be seen in the palace once again. The cabinet library of Electress Elisabeth Auguste from 1755, which has been preserved in the original, is Rococo of the highest level. The room was designed as a whole: elegant ornamentation and pastel paintings combine into an impression of playful ease, typical for the Rococo.
Delicate Rococo cartouches decorate the Library Cabinet.
Stéphanie liked furniture in the Empire style.
In 1806, Stéphanie, the adoptive daughter of Napoleon, and her husband, Carl, heir to the throne of Baden, moved into the palace. With her, the imperial archetypes of the French empire style came to Mannheim. Broad shapes reminiscent of the architecture of antiquity or Egyptian motifs characterize the rooms and furnishings: columns and austere decorative friezes, like a Greek temple or sphinxes and palms on furniture. The dominant materials are warming shimmering mahogany and black ebony, gilded bronze and, on the walls, colorful damask wall coverings.
New tastes meant new furniture.
Grand Duchess Stéphanie lived in Mannheim Palace so long that, towards the end of her time as a widow, she participated in the next style of architecture and furniture. As of 1840, Historicism came into fashion. This 19th-century style worked with and imitated archetypes from earlier eras. The furniture became rounder and more elaborate, even reaching back to Baroque shapes. In some cases, furniture from the 18th century could simply be repainted, re-upholstered, and reused.
