Schloss Mosigkau

About the museum

Princess Anna Wilhelmine of Anhalt-Dessau, an unmarried daughter of Leopold I, the "Old Dessauer," had a summer residence built in Mosigkau from 1752 to 1757. Construction was supervised by Dessau court architect Christian Friedrich Damm; the first designs probably go back to Georg Wenzeslaus von Knobelsdorff, the architect of Sanssouci – hence the nickname "Little Sanssouci."

After the princess's death in 1780, a foundation for unmarried noblewomen was established in the palace in accordance with her wishes; it existed until 1945. Because the house was continuously inhabited and hardly altered, the Rococo furnishings of its rooms have survived as a remarkably complete ensemble.

The palace has been a museum since 1951. Its centerpiece is the Gallery Hall, where paintings mainly by 17th-century Flemish and Dutch masters – including works by Rubens, van Dyck and Jan Brueghel the Elder from the House of Orange inheritance – are still displayed in the Baroque hanging of the period. Today the Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz shows 24 rooms with original furniture.

The palace garden combines Baroque structures with later designs and features a maze, an ornamental pond, a Chinese pavilion and an orangery with potted plants, some of them centuries old. As part of the Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm, the site has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.

Highlights

• Gallery Hall with paintings in their original Baroque hanging
• Works by Peter Paul Rubens, Anthony van Dyck and Jan Brueghel the Elder
• 24 rooms with original Rococo furnishings
• Palace garden with maze, ornamental pond and orangery plants
• Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm

Permanent exhibitions

• Schlossräume und Galeriesaal – A tour through Princess Anna Wilhelmine's original Rococo rooms, including the Gallery Hall, whose Flemish and Dutch paintings are displayed in the Baroque hanging from the time the palace was built.

Founded

1951

Operated by

Kulturstiftung Dessau-Wörlitz

Admission & discounts

Admission to the palace park is free.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The site is certified under "Reisen für Alle" (Travel for All); accessibility details are in the inspection report on reisen-fuer-alle.de (linked on the website).

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family tour of the palace every Sunday at 14:00; children up to age 16 accompanied by an adult get free admission.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

Digital 360° tour of the park online.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit