Meerscheinschlössl

The Meerscheinschlössl, a Baroque palace in the Geidorf district of Graz, today serves as a venue for cultural events. Originally built as a late Renaissance summer residence, it underwent transformations.

Around 1580, a predecessor building in the late Renaissance style was erected by the papal nuncio Malaspina. Later, under Count Georg Friedrich Mersperg, the building known as “Hof Rosenthal” was expanded into a pleasure palace, with construction phases between 1674 and 1708. Count Balthasar Wagensberg had the palace redesigned between 1689 and 1694 according to plans by Joachim Carlone. Leopold von Stubenberg acquired it in 1706 and commissioned Andreas Stengg to design the exterior facade. After further changes of ownership, including Count Adam Breuner and Count Thomas Gundaker Wurmbrand-Stuppach, it came into the possession of Johann Meerschein in 1801, who operated it as an excursion restaurant until 1809. During the wars with France, the palace was severely damaged by French troops. Josef Schlosser, who acquired the property in 1843, parceled out the gardens and sold them as building land.