Wilhelm Palais

Wilhelm Palace
Wilhelm Palais Schloss Wilhelm
Baden-Württemberg's Coat of Arms Baden-Württemberg's Coat of Arms
Main facade of Wilhelm Palace
Location within Baden-Württemberg Location within Baden-Württemberg
General information
Type	Palais
Architectural style	Classical
Classification	Palace
Location	Baden-Württemberg
Town or city	Stuttgart
Country	Germany
Coordinates
Named for	King William II of Württemberg
Construction started	1834
Completed	1840
Demolished	World War Two
Client	Stuttgart Library (until 2011)
Design and construction
Architect	Giovanni Salucci, Wilhelm Tiedje

The Wilhelmspalais (German: Wilhelm's Palace) is a Palace located on the Charlottenplatz in Stuttgart-Mitte. It was the living quarters of the last Württemberg King Wilhelm II. It was destroyed during World War II and between 1961 and 1965 reconstructed in modern style. Nowadays, the central library of the town, the Stadtbibliothek Stuttgart is situated in this building.

History

The Wilhelmspalais was built from 1834 to 1840 by Giovanni Salucci, the court architect of King Wilhelm I of Württemberg in the Classical style. The king wanted to use it as a residence for his two eldest daughters, the Princesses Marie and Sophie. King Whilhelm also hired Ludwig von Zanth to design the interior of the palace.

The grandnephew of Wilhelm II, also named Wilhelm, moved into the Wilhelmpalais until Wilhelm II abdicated on 30 November 1918. On 9 November 1918, revolutionaries stormed the castle. The property passed into the ownership if the city of Stuttgart upon the abdication of Wilhelm II on 30 November 1918. It became a museum in 1929 that featured exhibitions. The building was destroyed during World War Two.

Between 1961 and 1965, Wilhelm Tiedje rebuilt Wilhelmspalais in Modernist style and then housed the Stuttgart City Library until 2011 when it moved to the new building at Milan court.

Future use

Since the library moved out, it has been decided that Wilhelmspalais will become a museum once more (Stuttgart City Museum). Stuttgart architects Lederer Ragnarsdóttir Oei and Jangled Nerves started work in 2014. The museum is expected to open in 2017. The addition to a café and bar have been well received by the general populace, and already Wilhelmspalais is a popular place to find local artists.

Trivia

• A modest statue of Wilhelm II stands outside the Palais.

External links

• (German) Search "Wilhelmspalais" on the German Digital Library
• (German) Search "Wilhelmspalais Stuttgart" in Digital SPK Portal on the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation.
• (German) About Wilhelmspalais Stuttgart on stuttgart.de
• (German) History of Wilhelmspalais on the website of the Stuttgart City Museum
• (German) Virtual tour made by Heiko Sting