For a long time the New Residence was not only the Bamberg’s largest secular building, it was also its political hub. Visible from afar on the Domberg, together with the cathedral, it is still the crowning architectural feature of the old town and an important component of this UNESCO World Heritage site.The New Residence was created in two building phases over a period of more than 100 years. From 1603, under Prince Bishop Philipp von Gebsattel (r. 1599-1609), several adjacent canon’s houses were replaced with a new building in the Renaissance style. From 1609 the extension was continued under Gebsattel’s successor, Johann Gottfried von Aschhausen (r. 1609-1622). Located immediately opposite Bamberg Cathedral and the Old Court, the new building linked up with the original seat of the bishopric when it was founded by Emperor Heinrich II in the Middle Ages. Construction then came to a halt, probably due to the 30 Years’ War, and the Residence remained incomplete until Lothar Franz von Schönborn (r. 1693-1729) was elected prince-bishop of Bamberg in 1693. Little is known about the interior decoration of this first section.