Leuchtenberg Palace

The construction of the Palais Leuchtenberg was carried out between 1817 and 1821 under the direction of Leo von Klenze. The client was Eugène de Beauharnais, a stepson of Napoleon and brother-in-law of the later King Ludwig I of Bavaria. Klenze adopted the Neo-Renaissance style, inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. The palace was the first building on Ludwigstrasse and was intended to set an architectural standard for this grand avenue. A special feature was the integration of then-new, odorless toilets. After the death of August von Leuchtenberg in 1852, the palace became the property of Prince Luitpold, the later Prince Regent. Until 1933, it served representative purposes for the House of Wittelsbach.