Alte Hofhaltung Bamberg

After the death of Adalbert of Babenberg from the House of Popponen, his fiefs became the property of the crown and remained there until the year 973. In that year, they were granted as a fief to Duke Henry the Quarrelsome. During the time as crown property, the Castrum was also used as a state prison. Here, the deposed King of Italy and Margrave of Ivrea Berengar II and his wife were imprisoned. From the time of Emperor Henry II, the consecration inscription of the Thomas Chapel has been preserved. It reveals that in the year 1020 Pope Benedict VIII consecrated this chapel in honor of Mary and St. Thomas. The no longer existing St. Andrew's Chapel also dated from the 11th century. According to legend, Empress Cunigunde submitted to the ordeal of God here by walking over glowing plowshares. For the results of the excavations, see Cathedral Hill (Bamberg). In the 16th century, Henry II's palace was demolished; some window arches inside the Renaissance wing have been preserved.

Under Prince-Bishop Philipp von Henneberg (1475–1487), the southeastern and eastern wings were built. The coat of arms of Henneberg is located above the rear entrance gate. Remarkable are the painted eaves boards under the gutters. Under the reign of his successor Prince-Bishop Heinrich III Groß von Trockau (1487–1501), a fire destroyed the kitchen wing of the court. As a result, this part was rebuilt during Heinrich III's reign. Above the entrance gate on the north side is one of the most beautiful preserved coats of arms in Bamberg.

Under the reign of Prince-Bishop Veit II von Würtzburg (1561–1577), parts of the palace from the time of Emperor Henry II were demolished or integrated into the Renaissance wing. The building was constructed from 1570 under the direction of Erasmus Braun, who immortalized himself below the bay window. Below the windows on the bay window, coats of arms of noble families are carved. The facade of the Renaissance building was originally painted in color. As a representative entrance, sculptor Pankraz Wagner created the "Beautiful Gate" in 1573. The relief of Mary is flanked by Henry and Cunigunde, who hold a model of the cathedral behind the Virgin Mary. It shows the cathedral in detail as it looked until 1764. Further out, on the left is Saint Peter and on the right Saint George, and next to them two bishops, Saint Otto and probably Kilian, the "Apostle of the Franks." The reclining figures on both sides symbolize the Main and Regnitz, the two rivers of the city. On this relief, the Würzburg coat of arms crowns the entrance portal inserted between the Renaissance wing and the "Hohe Warte."

In 1777, the court was significantly altered by the demolition of the buildings dividing the courtyard, especially the nave of the Thomas Chapel, the partial demolition of the Hohe Warte, and the demolition of the octagonal St. Andrew's Chapel at the beginning of Domgasse. Today, one enters Domgasse through the former interior of the demolished St. Andrew's Chapel.