New Palace (Stuttgart)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The New Palace () is an 18th-century
Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...
palace in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
and is one of the last large city palaces built in
Southern Germany Southern Germany (, ) is a region of Germany that includes the areas in which Upper German dialects are spoken, which includes the stem duchies of Bavaria and Swabia in present-day Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and the southern portion of Hesse ...
. The palace is located on the Schlossplatz in front of the Jubiläumssäule column and
Königsbau The Königsbau is one of the formative buildings of Stuttgart's Schlossplatz. It forms the north-west end of the square and is mainly home to shops and cafés. Since April 2006, the Königsbau-Passagen, a 45,000 square meter retail and com ...
. Public tours of the building are only permitted by special arrangement, as the building contains some government offices. Once a historic residence of the kings of
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...
, the New Palace derives its name from its commissioning by Duke Carl Eugen of
Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...
to replace the Old Castle in the early years of his reign. Originally, Charles commissioned Nikolaus Friedrich Thouret, but architects
Leopoldo Retti Leopoldo Mattia Retti, also known as Leopold Retty (born 1704, Laino – d. September 18, 1751, Stuttgart) was an Italian architect working in Southern Germany. He is considered one of the leading representatives of late French Baroque. In Ansbac ...
,
Philippe de La Guêpière (Pierre Louis) Philippe de La Guêpière (c. 1715 – 30 October 1773) was an 18th-century French architect whose main commissions were from Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg. Early life Philippe was born in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, south of Pari ...
,
Reinhard Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer Reinhard Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer (18 June 1746, in Stuttgart – 25 June 1813, in Stuttgart) was a German architect and master builder of Duke Charles Eugene of Württemberg. Life Fischer, officially a son of the Duke's councillor and f ...
would contribute to the design, history, and construction of the palace. The palace was heavily bombed in World War II, leaving only a shell. It was finally agreed to rebuild it in 1957.


History


Background

In 1737, then
Duke of Württemberg Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ...
Charles Alexander died leaving his nine year old Charles Eugene as
duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of Royal family, royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobi ...
prematurely. He was not yet old enough to rule the Duchy, so he was sent to be educated and study in the court of then
King of Prussia The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...
Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...
while the court of Württemberg was run by magistrates. In 1744, Charles Eugene came of age at 16 years old, and returned to Stuttgart to assume his throne. Upon arriving, he desired a new and proper residence which would be "convenable to his royal dignity and the amplitude of his royal household" in the city of
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
and even threatened to move the capital back out of Stuttgart to
Ludwigsburg Palace Ludwigsburg Palace, nicknamed the "Versailles of Swabia", is a 452-room palace complex of 18 buildings located in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Its total area, including the gardens, is the largest palatial estate in the country. T ...
. The
Württemberg Diet Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württe ...
, who had lost the traditional role of capital of the Duchy for decades to the smaller and unfortified
Ludwigsburg Ludwigsburg (; Swabian German, Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a Cities of Germany, city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg (district), Lu ...
, insisted that the palace and seat of the power be moved back into Stuttgart because it would mean increased pride and political and economic power coming to rest in the city once again. So it was that Charles Eugene decided to build his palace upon the Schlossplatz. However, there was some debate over the palace as the Duchy already had the large and expensive residence at Ludwigsburg, and some, like Württemberg's Oberbaudirektor Johann Christoph David Leger, argued that expansion of a previous residence like the Old Castle would suffice. Plans nonetheless went forward, and architects across Europe jumped at the chance to design the Duke's palace and submitted drafts directly to Charles, including renowned architects
Alessandro Galli da Bibiena The Galli–Bibiena family, or Galli da Bibiena (also spelled "Bibbiena"), was a family of Italian artists of the 17th and 18th centuries, including: "Ferdinando Galli Bibiena Online" (overview), John Malyon, ''Artcyclopedia'', 2005, Artcycl ...
and
Maurizio Pedetti Maurizio is an Italian masculine given name, derived from the Roman name Mauritius. Mauritius is a derivative of Maurus, meaning ''dark-skinned, Moorish''. List of people with the given name Maurizio Art and music * Maurizio Arcieri (born 1945), ...
as well as
Balthasar Neumann Johann Balthasar Neumann (; c. 27 January 1687 – 19 August 1753), usually known as Balthasar Neumann, was a German architect and military artillery engineer who developed a refined brand of Baroque architecture, fusing Austrian, Bohemian, Ita ...
, designer of the world-famous
Würzburg Residence The Würzburg Residence (German: ''Würzburger Residenz'') is a palace in Würzburg, Germany. Johann Lukas von Hildebrandt and Maximilian von Welsch, representatives of the Austrian/Southern German Baroque style, were involved in the construct ...
.


Construction

On 3 September 1746 the cornerstone was laid under the New Palace's first build master,
Leopoldo Matteo Retti Leopoldo is a given name, the Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese form of the English, German, Dutch, Polish, and Slovene name, Leopold. Notable people with the name include: *Leopoldo de' Medici (1617–1675), Italian cardinal and Governor of Si ...
whose uncle,
Donato Giuseppe Frisoni Donato Giuseppe Frisoni (b. 1681 or 1683, Laino – d. 29 November 1735, Ludwigsburg) was an Italian architect active during the Rococo period in Northern Italy, Southern Germany, and Bohemia. Biography Donato Giuseppe Frisoni was born in Laino, ...
, had worked on Ludwigsburg Palace. Retti, who picked the site of an old crossbow shop for the New Palace, planned for the
courtyard A courtyard or court is a circumscribed area, often surrounded by a building or complex, that is open to the sky. Courtyards are common elements in both Western and Eastern building patterns and have been used by both ancient and contemporary a ...
to face the nearby
Karlsschule Stuttgart Hohe Karlsschule (''Karl's High School'') was the strict military academy founded by Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg in Stuttgart, Germany. It was first founded in 1770 as a military orphanage, but then converted into a military academy in 1773 ...
and New Lusthaus south of the palace, the Garden Wing to face the Ducal Apartments in the
Corps de logis In architecture, a ''corps de logis'' () is the principal or main block, or central building of a mansion, country or manor house, castle, or palace. It contains the rooms of principal business, the state apartments and the ceremonial or formal ...
, and for the City Wing to contain the guest and state rooms. However, when construction began, it began under the direction of Johann Christoph David Leger as Retti was working on a commission in
Ansbach Ansbach ( , ; ) is a city in the Germany, German state of Bavaria. It is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk, administrative region of Mittelfranken, Middle Franconia. Ansbach is southwest of Nuremberg and north of Munich, on the river Fränk ...
until 1748. The following year, the facades of the Corps de logis and Garden Wing were completed, while work on the interiors would last until 1750. Unfortunately, Retti, whose work had been inspired by the Baroque architecture of France, died of an unknown illness 18 September 1751. After Retti's death, construction of the palace fell to Parisian architect
Philippe de La Guêpière (Pierre Louis) Philippe de La Guêpière (c. 1715 – 30 October 1773) was an 18th-century French architect whose main commissions were from Karl Eugen, Duke of Württemberg. Early life Philippe was born in Sceaux, Hauts-de-Seine, south of Pari ...
, a friend of Retti. A connoisseur of then modern architectural theory, Philippe was inspired by his time in his native
France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and especially the magnificent
Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...
, and took the palace in this direction. Under La Guêpière, the City Wing facade was finished in 1756 as well as a dome over the central structure in 1760 with decorations to the Corp de logis following in 1762. Unfortunately, a fire destroyed the interior of the Garden Wing, which La Guêpière had just finished, on the night of 13–14 November of that same year. Following the fire, an annoyed Charles Eugene decreed the speedy conclusion of construction of the White Room and Mirror Gallery for the celebration of his birthday (11 February) the following year. In 1764, construction ceased because the Duke moved his residence to Ludwigsburg and remained there for a decade. In response, La Guêpière left the Duke's court in 1768 and returned to
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
. In 1775, the Duke returned to Stuttgart and hired
Reinhard Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer Reinhard Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer (18 June 1746, in Stuttgart – 25 June 1813, in Stuttgart) was a German architect and master builder of Duke Charles Eugene of Württemberg. Life Fischer, officially a son of the Duke's councillor and f ...
to repair the palace. He would do so until his death in 1793 and his era would see the central pavilion of the Marble Hall in the Corps de Logis was decorated with a fresco by
Nicolas Guibal Nicolas Guibal (29 November 1725, Lunéville — 3 November 1784, Stuttgart) was an artist, art educator and art gallery director from the Duchy of Lorraine. He worked for most of his career as a court painter for Charles Eugene, Duke of Württembe ...
. Czar
Paul I of Russia Paul I (; – ) was Emperor of Russia from 1796 until his assassination in 1801. Paul remained overshadowed by his mother, Catherine the Great, for most of his life. He adopted the Pauline Laws, laws of succession to the Russian throne—rules ...
and his wife
Sophie Dorothea of Württemberg Sophie is a feminine given name, another version of Sophia, from the Greek word for "wisdom". People with the name Born in the Middle Ages * Sophie, Countess of Bar (c. 1004 or 1018–1093), sovereign Countess of Bar and lady of Mousson * Soph ...
, one of Charles Eugene's nieces, visited the castle in 1775. When Charles Eugene died in 1793, New Palace was given more much needed repairs. 1789 saw the completion of the City Wing and the Garden Wing in 1791 during the rule of
Frederick II Eugene, Duke of Württemberg Friedrich Eugen, Duke of Württemberg (21 January 1732 – 23 December 1797) was the fourth son of Karl Alexander, Duke of Württemberg, and Princess Maria Augusta of Thurn and Taxis. He was born in Stuttgart. From 1795 until 1797, he was Duke ...
(construction elsewhere could continue into the 19th century). In 1806, as the palace was finally nearing completion,
Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...
visited the New Palace. Eleven years later, von Thouret redecorated some of the rooms of the Red Marble Hall during the visit of Czar
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to: * Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon from 495 to 454 BC * Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus * Alexander I Theopator Euergetes, surnamed Balas, ruler of the Seleucid Empire 150-145 BC * Pope Alex ...
. When Duke and then King
Frederick I Frederick I or Friedrich I may refer to: * Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht. * Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978) * Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105) * Frederick I ...
died,
William I William I may refer to: Kings * William the Conqueror (–1087), also known as William I, King of England * William I of Sicily (died 1166) * William I of Scotland (died 1214), known as William the Lion * William I of the Netherlands and Luxembour ...
moved the seat of his power back to the New Palace and hired
Giovanni Salucci Giovanni Battista Salucci (born 1 July 1769 in Florence; died 18 July 1845 in Florence) was an Italian architect. Life and work In 1783 Giovanni Salucci began studying architecture at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. He received his fir ...
and later his pupil Ferdinand Gabriel and charged them with renovating the palace's Grey and Yellow Marble Halls in 1836. In 1840 and 1841 and from 1852 to 1854, the court painter
Josef Anton Gegenbauer Josef Anton von Gegenbaur (6 March 1800, in Wangen im Allgäu, Wangen, Württemberg – 31 January 1876, in Rome) was a German historical and portrait painter. Biography He studied first at the Academy of Fine Arts Munich, Royal Academy in Muni ...
painted three frescoes in the rooms created next to the staircase on the ground floor with scenes from the history of the
Duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once existed an important differe ...
and the
Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg ( ) was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Electorate of Württemberg, which existed from 1803 to 1806. Geogr ...
. Under Duke
Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...
and his wife Olga only minor changes were made to the castle, mainly made in the royal living area and by Joseph von Egle were executed. William II renounced the residency of the dukes in the New Palace, and the palace was somewhat opened to the public for the first time.


Use after 1918

After
Wilhelm II of Württemberg Wilhelm may refer to: People and fictional characters * William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm" * Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname Other uses * Wilhe ...
abdicated his throne on November 30, 1918, the palace passed into state ownership. In 1919, the German Foreign Institute used the ground floor and some of the garden wing to house their offices and showrooms and some of the first and second floors became the headquarters for the local police. In the early 1920s, nearly the entire first floor became a museum displaying the royal Kunstkammer, majolica collection, and former living places of the kings of Württemberg. On 15 April 1920,
Richard von Weizsäcker Richard Karl Freiherr von Weizsäcker (; 15 April 1920 – 31 January 2015) was a German politician ( CDU), who served as President of Germany from 1984 to 1994. Born into the aristocratic Weizsäcker family, who were part of the German nobili ...
, future
President of Germany The president of Germany, officially titled the Federal President of the Federal Republic of Germany (),The official title within Germany is ', with ' being added in international correspondence; the official English title is President of the F ...
, was born in the attic of the palace. When the German Foreign Institute moved out in 1928, the remaining unused portions of the palace were converted into German military and ancient antiquity museums. When the police headquarters moved out in 1926, the second floor housed the offices of the antiquities collection and historic preservation authorities. In the
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
air raids on February 21, 1944, Neue Schloss was almost completely burned to the ground by Allied bombs, leaving only the facade standing. For many years, preservationists fought to rebuild Neue Schloss (once, it was nearly demolished in favor of a hotel) until 1957 when finally it was agreed in the
Baden-Württemberg Landtag Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...
that the castle would be
rebuilt ''Rebuilt'' is the second and final studio album by American girl group Girlicious. It was released on November 22, 2010, by Universal Music Canada. The record draws from the dance-pop genre while infusing hints of R&B. Production initially sta ...
– by one vote. Since the reconstruction that began in 1958 under the careful direction of Horst Linde, the castle has been used by the State's government, starting with the
Corps de logis In architecture, a ''corps de logis'' () is the principal or main block, or central building of a mansion, country or manor house, castle, or palace. It contains the rooms of principal business, the state apartments and the ceremonial or formal ...
(Now used for representation by the State Ministry) and the two wings of the castle. The only part of the castle that was not fully restored was an air raid shelter under the building that was demolished in 1958. Today it is used by the State Ministries of Finance and Education and is now open to the public via regular guided tours.


Gallery

File:Neues Schloss Schlossplatz Stuttgart 2015 04.jpg Image:StuttgartSchlossplatz.jpg, Schlossplatz with New Castle Image:StuttgartSchlossPlatz.JPG, The New Castle viewed from the New Gallery Image:Stuttgart Schlossplatz Nacht new.jpg, Fountains in front of the New Castle at night File:Neues Schloss Stuttgart Gartenflügel Eckensee.jpg, View from garden File:Neues Schloss Schlossplatzspringbrunnen Schlossplatz Stuttgart 2015 01.jpg, New Castle in 2015


See also

*
List of Baroque residences This is a list of Baroque architecture, Baroque palaces and Residenz, residences built in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque architecture is a building style of the Baroque, Baroque era, begun in late 16th-century Italy and spread in Europe ...
*
Ludwigsburg Palace Ludwigsburg Palace, nicknamed the "Versailles of Swabia", is a 452-room palace complex of 18 buildings located in Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Its total area, including the gardens, is the largest palatial estate in the country. T ...


Notes


Citations


References

* * * * * * *


External links

*
Neus Schloss Stuttgart (Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg)
*
Neues Schloss (New Castle) (Region Stuttgart)
*

{{Authority control Tourist attractions in Stuttgart Palaces in Baden-Württemberg Royal residences in Baden-Württemberg Baroque palaces in Germany Baroque architecture in Baden-Württemberg Rebuilt buildings and structures in Germany 1746 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Buildings and structures in Germany destroyed during World War II