Approximately 15 kilometers north of Munich lays the peaceful town of Oberschleissheim.

Archeological findings dating back to 800 B.C. verify the settlement of this area. The first official document that mentions Schleissheim is a document from Rihpalt von Slivesheim (Schleißheim) dating back to 785 A.D. It documents the turn over of his estate to the bishopric in Freising. This document is also the reason that in 1985, Oberschleißheim was able to celebrate it´s 1200 year anniversary.

Schleissheim became the site of a country residence of the Wittelsbach family towards the end of the 16th century, when Duke William (Herzog Wilhelm) V. (1579 - 1598) acquired some isolated holdings and built a manor as a prince´s hermitage with nine hermits´ surrounding it. Duke Maximillian I., later Elector Maximillian and son of Duke William V., replaced his father´s retreat with a modest summer residence in late renaissance style, the first Schloss Schleissheim, also known as the “Altes Schloss Schleissheim”, in english the “Old Castle Schleissheim”. The Old Castle is a branch of the National Museum of Bayern where two exibitions are permanently on display. The handwork of different religious ethnical groups, mostly christian, and their beliefs. The other is the history of the east and west Preussian.

One of the most impressive site to see in Oberschleissheim is the beautiful baroque garden that encompasses the castle grounds. The baroque garden was laid out by Elector Max Emanuel. The garden contains an extensive channel system with connections to the Amer, Isar and Würm rivers. The channels not only enhance the appearance and provide irrigation for the garden, they were also used to transport building materials and naturally boating tours for the castle court and guests.

The plans to build castle Lustheim and the layout of the baroque garden cannot be separated. At one end of the baroque garden is the Old Castle and at the other end lays castle Lustheim. Elector Max Emanuel (Maximilian II Emanuel) from Bayeren built castle Lustheim for the celebration of his marriage to the Emperor´s daughter Maria Antonia in June 1685. This “hunting palace” was planned by the architect Enrico Zuccalli who is also the architect that planned the New Castle Schleissheim. To the north and south of castle Lustheim are two pavilions. In the south  pavilion is the Renatus chapel and the north pavilion was used to house the favorite horses from Elector Max Emanuel. The two pavilions used to be connected to one another through a gallery that extended in a half-circle around castle Lustheim and enclosed the east side of the castle park. The castle Lustheim is also a branch of the National Museum of Bayern and houses one of the most valuable collections of  Meissener porcelain. Because of renovation work, the museum in castle Lustheim is currently closed to the public. It should be reopening sometime in October 2000.

In 1700, Elector Max Emanuel commissioned Enrico Zuccalli to plan a vast summer residence, to be built between the Altes Schloss and Lustheim. The work on this Neues Schloss (New Castle) began in 1701, but only the outer brickwork was finished before the outbreak of the War of the Spanish Succession which brought the construction to a standstill, during the exile of Max Emanuel in Brussel. In 1716, the construction of the Neues Schloss  continued. Max Emanuel appointed Joseph Effner, an architect trained in Paris, to complete the construction. Effner did not alter Zuccalli´s plans significantly. The second grand staircase was not built and he rejected the reconstruction plans from Robert De Cotte and the tracts in Effner´s model to link the Neues Schloss with the Altes Schloss. In the Neue Schloss is one of the most extensive collections of paints from famous European baroque artists. The major attraction is the Grand Gallery that Max Emanuel established on the top floor of the main building in the castle. The ground floor is dedicated to the baroque artists from Italy, Spain and Germany. The gallery in the Neues Schloss belongs to the most impressive and important collections of baroque art and covers the periods of the 17th and 18th centuries. In the south pavilion of the Neues Schloss is still another branch of the National Museum of Bayern. This museum contains a unique collection of costumes and accessories from the 18th century. Elegant robes, suites, wigs and hats, shoes, handbags, jewelry and much more. The Neue Schloss adds an original atmosphere to this museum.

This is not the official site for Oberschleissheim. For the official site follow this link  www.oberschleissheim.de