Arolsen Castle (german: Residenzschloss Arolsen) is a

baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

-style '' schloss'' in Bad Arolsen, Hesse, Germany. The castle is now a museum, and is still inhabited by Wittekind, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont and his family. As a result, it continues to serve as a residence of the former ruling family of the

Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont The County of Waldeck (later the Principality of Waldeck and Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire and its successors from the late 12th century until 1929. In 1349 the county gained Imperial immediacy and in 1 ...

. It was the birthplace of Princess

Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont Emma of Waldeck and Pyrmont (Adelheid Emma Wilhelmina Theresia; 2 August 1858 – 20 March 1934) was Queen of the Netherlands and Grand Duchess of Luxembourg as the wife of King-Grand Duke William III. An immensely popular member of the Dutch Ro ...

, who became the Queen consort of the Netherlands during the late 19th century.

History

Built during the early 18th century, the castle's main building was completed in 1728. The furnishings, equipment, furniture, remained for several decades until the castle was finally handed over to its use. Built in 1840, the ''Fürstlich Waldecksche Hofbibliothek'' (Princely Waldeck Court Library) today contains virtually all literature of the 18th century in relevant fields of knowledge. The collection focuses on the Universal geography, history, literature, and militaria. In 1992, Jeff Koons created a 13-metre tall topiary sculpture called the '' Puppy'' to be displayed at the castle's park.

Arolsen Klebeband

The library is known for its "tape" books or "klebeband" books. These are blank books that could be filled with engravings that were popular among nobility. The Arolsen books are still intact, while many others have been disassembled in the past. These have been digitised by a society created specifically for this purpose.''Die Klebebände der Fürstlich Waldeckschen Hofbibliothek Arolsen : Wissenstransfer und -transformation in der Frühen Neuzeit'', by Marie Isabelle Vogel, Peter Lang Edition, Frankfurt am Main, 2015,

References

Residenzschloss Arolsen
(German) *Eduard Brauns: Wanderungen durch Nordhessen und Waldeck. A. Bernecker Verlag Melsungen, 1971 *Grieben Reiseführer Oberhessen. Band 230, Karl Thiemig München, 1981 *Schloss Arolsen. Große Baudenkmäler Heft 147, Deutscher Kunstverlag, 1980, S. 2–15, o.V.

External links

Residenzschloss Arolsen
(in German) Houses completed in 1728 Library buildings completed in 1840 Castles in Hesse House of Waldeck and Pyrmont Museums in Hesse Historic house museums in Germany Buildings and structures in Waldeck-Frankenberg 1728 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire {{Hesse-struct-stub