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Similar New Palace, Landesmuseum Württemberg, Schillerplatz, Stiftskirche - Stuttgart, Schlossplatz | ||
The Old Castle (German: Altes Schloss) is a castle located on the Schillerplatz in the center of Stuttgart, Germany. Originally, a Wasserburg dating back to the 10th Century stood on the grounds. Today, the castle is serves as the main site of the Landesmuseum Württemberg, and the castle church (German: Schloßkirche) still functions as a place of worship.
History
In the year 950 CE, a castle was completed on the grounds of the Old Castle to protect the mare garden. In the 14th Century, it was the home of the Counts of Württemberg and their Court Chamber. From 1553-1578, Dukes Christoph and Louis III renovated the castle adding an equestrian staircase built by Blasius Berwart in 1560 and the church and conference room in 1562. In the 18th Century, the moat was filled.
In 1931, the castle's Dürnitz and two towers were destroyed by fire. The castle again saw damage, large parts of the ethnographic collection of the Landesmuseum Württemberg falling victim to fire, during World War Two before being renovated in 1971. Paul Schmitthenner renovated the castle in 1971.
The arcaded courtyard of the castle itself shows architectural motifs of early Renaissance from Italy.
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.