Old Castle (Stuttgart)

Old Castle in Stuttgart

The Old Castle (German: Altes Schloss) is located in the centre of Stuttgart, the capital of the German State of Baden-Württemberg. It dates back to the 10th century.

The first castle dated back to around 950 when Stuttgart was a settlement for breeding horses; it was built to guard the Stutengarten of the stud. In the 14th century it became the residence of the Counts of Württemberg and the court chamber (Hofkammer) of the House of Württemberg. In the 16th century dukes Christopher and Ludwig ordered it to be converted into a Renaissance palace or schloss; work which was carried out from 1553 to 1578. It was at this time (1560) that the equestrian staircase was built by Blasius Berwart. In 1562 the palace church was consecrated and the conference hall furnished. The moats around the castle were filled in during the 18th century.

In 1931, the castle was severely damaged by a fire and before it could be reconstructed it was damaged by bombing in the Second World War. The castle was finally renovated in 1969.

Today the Old Castle is home to the Württemberg State Museum.

King Charles I of Württemberg and his wife Olga are buried beneath the castle church. The inner courtyard houses a monument to Eberhard I. The Old Castle stands adjacent to its replacement, the New Castle, which was built in the late 18th century.

On the Karlsplatz side of the Old Castle is a museum dedicated to the memory of Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg a former resident of Stuttgart who attempted to assassinate Adolf Hitler on 20 July 1944.

See also

• Duchy of Württemberg
• Kingdom of Württemberg

Gallery

• Arkadenhof Altes Schloss Stuttgart 2015 02.jpg

  Inner courtyard in 2015

• Stuttgart-altes-schloss-innenhof.jpg

  Inner courtyard with Christmas decorations.

• Stuttgart-schlosskapelle.jpg

  Castle chapel

• Reiterstandbild Eberhard I. von Württemberg im Innenhof des Alten Schlosses.jpg

  Monument of count Eberhard I

• 

  The Old Castle viewed from the nearby market hall

• Altes Schloss Stuttgart Innenhof.jpg

  The castle courtyard

• Altes Schloss Stuttgart.jpg

  The south west corner

External links

• http://www.landesmuseum-stuttgart.de
• Altes Schloss Stadt-Panorama - Interactive 360° Panorama of the Old Castle