Stuttgart Old Castle

Stuttgart, Germany

The Old Castle is located in the centre of Stuttgart. 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.

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.

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

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Details

Founded: c. 950 AD
Category: Castles and fortifications in Germany
Historical period: Ottonian Dynasty (Germany)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Jeff Reid (7 months ago)
Amazing historical building.
Nataliya Matyushina (7 months ago)
Absolutely stunning! You have to see it ?
Brett Pratt (8 months ago)
Real cool museum. Lots of things to see. I really liked the religious art.
Saskia Simons (12 months ago)
It is the gathering of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people for a certain purpose and killing each other. no rifle, no cannon; These are wars where bravery and honor are not spoiled. A Persian horseman, a Hindu elephant, a Japanese samurai, a Roman legionnaire, a French knight, an Ottoman Janissary can be cited as examples of people who fought in these wars.
Feona Wittmann (12 months ago)
This is a museum full of very important and distinguished works that surprised me. It was a museum filled with a variety of jewellery, everyday items, paleolithic, neolithic, Roman, Celtic… artifacts of higher quality than I expected. Entry is free throughout 2020, if you like visiting museums, you can easily spend two or three hours. Although a part of it was under restoration when I went, even this much was magnificent. The explanations are in German, but what the dazzling things are can be understood from the drawings or animations. Ethnographic artifacts and items from historical churches were also on display. The quality of the museum was evident even from its stylish staff in suits. Apart from the exhibits, if you have time and interest, I recommend you to examine the lower drawers in some sections, I would definitely recommend you to visit this museum!
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