Area Surrounding Old and New PalaceThe immediate area surrounding the two Stuttgart palaces is characterized by the claim to representation and the requirements of a residential palace administration, i.e. courts of honor, gardens and parade grounds, have been important elements of city planning since the Renaissance. Many buildings and gardens have disappeared again over the centuries, however Stuttgart's residents and their visitors still stroll through the main complexes today.
Landesbildstelle Baden Rastatter Str. 25 76199 Karlsruhe Telefon 0721 / 88 08-0 Telefax 0721 / 88 08-69
This illustration was kindly made available to us by: Landesbildstelle Württemberg Rotenbergstr. 111 70190 Stuttgart Tel. 0711 2850-6 Fax 0711 2850-780
Referat Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten bei der Oberfinanzdirektion Stuttgart Rotebühlplatz 30 70173 Stuttgart Tel. 07141 / 18 64 48  Under Duke Friedrich II von Württemberg, who became the first
Württemberg King in 1806, The royal palace garden was created beginning in 1807 according
to the plans of Nikolaus Friedrich Thouret. The garden, which was completed and opened to
the public in 1808, is oriented toward the garden wing of the Neues Schloß and extends
over today's Upper and Middle Gardens (Obere und Mittlere Anlagen).This illustration was kindly made available to us by: Landesbildstelle Württemberg Rotenbergstr. 111 70190 Stuttgart Tel. 0711 2850-6 Fax 0711 2850-780
Landesbildstelle Baden Rastatter Str. 25 76199 Karlsruhe Telefon 0721 / 88 08-0 Telefax 0721 / 88 08-69 • PALACE HOME PAGE Prepared by: ©2001-2003 CALTIM Designs. All rights reserved.
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Schillerplatz, the
former castle forecourt built under Duke Friedrich I von Württemberg between 1594 and
1599, extends in front of the Altes Schloß. For this purpose eleven middle-class houses
located directly in front of the palace were torn down. With it the architect Heinrich
Schickhardt succeeded in creating a Court of Honor (Ehrenhof) of the palace which was
characterized by an ensemble of buildings still preserved today.
The
effective urbanistic appearance is framed by the Cathedral (Stiftskirche), the
highest-ranking Protestant church in Württemberg, which goes back to a previous
Romanesque building from 1175, the "Fruchtkasten" (the annual grain tribute was
paid here), which contains the winepress built in 1578 at its center. It was given a new
facade in the style of the Renaissance in 1596. Today it houses the collection of musical
instruments of the Württemberg State Museum (Württembergisches
Landesmuseums);
the Prince's Building
(Prinzenbau), which was begun in 1604 - 1608 according to plans of Schickhardt and was not
finished until 1685. The building was given its name in 1805, when it became the residence
of the second-born prince. After being destroyed in World War II, it has been used since
Germany's recovery by the Ministry of Justice of Baden-Württemberg;
The Old Chancellery (Alte
Kanzlei), the eastern part of which was built in 1542 - 1544 as the seat of the ducal
chancellery under Duke Ulrich. In 1566 - 1567 a story was added and the building
lengthened. Today it contains the Court Pharmacy (Hofapotheke), a restaurant and part of
the Ministry of Justice.
The
Schiller Monument stands in the middle of Schillerplatz. It was erected in 1839 in place
of the large and small draw wells. The former Palace Square (Schloßplatz) is named after
this monument.
The symmetrical "Schloßplatz", originally part of the
pleasure garden and decorated with many small buildings and garden areas, lies before the
New Palace (Neues Schloß). To lay out the Palace Square as it is today, a two-story
birdhouse and the Old Pleasure House (Altes Lusthaus) built in 1553 were torn down in
1782. The area in front of the New Palace was at first designed as a parade ground, which
was planted with chestnut avenues running at right angles in 1823 and then also served as
a drill ground. Since the 25-year anniversary of the reign of King Wilhelm I, a 30 m high
anniversary column has stood in the center of the Palace Square and was adorned with a
bronze statue of the Concordia (an allegorical figure for harmony or peace) in 1863.
"Karlsplatz",
located on the eastern side of the Altes Schloß, was originally planted as the oldest
garden in the 14th century and was surrounded by a wall. It was called the Duchess' Garden
(Herzogingarten) after the wife of Duke Eberhard im Bart, Barabara von Gonzaga from
Mantua. Here stood the Small Pleasure House (Kleines Lusthaus) from 1556, fig houses and a
flower and vegetable garden. In 1775 this garden was leveled and the square was laid out
with symmetrical paths and chestnut trees planted in honor of Duke Carl Eugen. An
equestrian memorial to Emperor Wilhelm I, who was proclaimed German Emperor in Versailles
in 1871, has stood in the middle since 1897.