Friedrichsbau (University of Heidelberg), Heidelberg

The Glässener-Saal-Bau (Hall of Mirrors), a Romanesque interpretation of Renaissance innovation, connects the partly ruined Ottheinrichsbau to the showcase Friedrichsbau. Here, the ancestral gallery of impressive sculptures traces the House of Wittelsbach from a highly dubious claim on Charlemagne to its builder Frederick V, with Justice at the center legitimizing the lineage. The sculptures on display are actually copies; the originals are housed inside the building. You can join a tour to see them, along with a beautiful Late Gothic castle chapel ("Schlosskapelle") and rooms recreated in period style.

Originally intended for use by the University of Heidelberg, the historical building was constructed in a simple, late Classicist style between 1861 and 1864 on the site of the former Dominican monastery, which Grand Duke Karl Friedrich von Baden purchased in 1804. Named after him, the building initially housed the institutes for Physics, Mineralogy, Mathematics, Technology, and Physiology, reflecting the growing importance of the natural sciences.

Today, the Psychological Institute of the University of Heidelberg is located on the premises, while in the square out front stands a larger-than-life memorial to Robert Bunsen, the German chemist best known for inventing the Bunsen burner.