Ludwigslust, Urban municipality in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
Ludwigslust is a town in the Ludwigslust-Parchim District of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, roughly halfway between Hamburg and Berlin. The town clusters around the Baroque residence palace and its extensive landscaped garden, which together form the spatial focus of the settlement.
Friedrich of Mecklenburg elevated the settlement to capital of his duchy in 1765, replacing Schwerin as the seat of government. After his death in 1837, the administration moved back to Schwerin, and the town lost its central political role once again.
The name derives from Duke Christian Ludwig II, who commissioned a hunting lodge here during the 18th century. Today the town structure still follows the Baroque grid pattern that runs symmetrically around the central axis formed by the palace and park.
The town center can be easily explored on foot, as the main sights cluster around the palace area. Visitors will find signage in the center that guides them to individual buildings and through the park.
Many sculptures and columns in the park are not made of stone but of Ludwigslust Carton, a type of papier-mâché composed of paper, sand and glue. This unusual technique was developed in the 18th century to imitate expensive stonework at lower cost.
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