Schloss Rastatt is a historical building in Rastatt

Rastatt

Rastatt is a city and baroque residence in the District of Rastatt, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the Murg river, above its junction with the Rhine and has a population of around 50'000...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. The palace and the Garden were built between 1700 and 1707 by the Italian architect Domenico Egidio Rossi

Domenico Egidio Rossi

Domenico Egidio Rossi was an Italian architect and master builder, most notable for his design of the Schloss Rastatt....

 as ordered by Margrave Louis William of Baden

Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden

Louis William, Margrave of Baden was the ruler of Baden in Germany and chief commander of the Imperial army. He was also known as Türkenlouis...

.

History

During the Palatine war of succession the residence of Margrave Louis William of Baden-Baden had been burnt by French troops. A rebuild of the destroyed castle would not have suited the representative needs of the count of Baden. Since he also needed a home for his wife Sibylle Auguste of Saxe-Lauenburg

Sibylle Auguste of Saxe-Lauenburg

Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg was Margravine of Baden-Baden. Born a Duchess of Saxe-Lauenburg, she was the wife of Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, a famous Imperial general who was known as the Türkenlouis...

, whom he had married in 1690, he a had a new residence built in place of the former hunting lodge.

During this operation the 1697 hunting lodge was demolished to leave space for the new castle. The village of Rastatt was promoted to city status in 1700 and the Margrave moved here with his court. The residence in Rastatt is the oldest Baroque residence in the German Upper-Rhine area. It was built according to the example of the French Palace of Versailles. During the 19th century the castle was used as headquarters.

The castle was not damaged during World War II. Today the castle is home of two museums, the "Wehrgeschichtliche Museum

Wehrgeschichtliches Museum Rastatt

The Wehrgeschichtliches Museum Rastatt or WGM is a military historical museum in Germany. It is housed in the south wing of the Schloss Rastatt in the town of Rastatt....

" (military history) and Erinnerungsstätte für die Freiheitsbewegungen in der deutschen Geschichte

Erinnerungsstätte für die Freiheitsbewegungen in der deutschen Geschichte

The Erinnerungsstätte für die Freiheitsbewegungen in der deutschen Geschichte is a museum and memorial to free democratic traditions in Germany...

(Memorial site for the German liberation movement).

Interior

A large staircase with stucco decorations give way to the Beletage. The biggest and most decorated hall is the Ahnensaal ("Ancestral Hall""). It is decorated with numerous frescoes and shows paintings of ancestors and of captured Ottoman soldiers.

External links

• http://www.schloss-rastatt.de/en/palace-rastatt/Home/268159.html English page of Schloss Rastatt