Palmsches Castle

Palm's Hohenkreuz Castle presumably dates back to the late Middle Ages, but according to Karl Pfaff, it was first documented in its current form in 1698. The entire property of Baron von Palm, including all lands in the Hohenkreuz district, passed into the possession of the city of Esslingen in October 1914. In the same year, this very property was transferred to the Reichsfiskus (Imperial Treasury) by purchase agreement. The plan was to build a barracks (today's "Becelaere" barracks or the Palm'scher Park residential area) and to use the castle buildings for military administration. Between 1994 and 1999, the Esslingen building cooperative acquired the castle grounds and park.

According to the purchase agreement between the city of Esslingen and the Reichsfiskus in 1914, the city of Esslingen insisted that the castle park ("Baumgarten") remain untouched (purchase agreement §13), unless military necessities arose. Since it remained undamaged until after the Second World War, lease areas for citizens' self-sufficiency could be designated here during the post-war emergency. According to the previous development plan, the park is therefore subject to a building ban. However, after the sale to the city, a development plan was created in spring 2013, which is intended to enable dense, multi-story construction for senior housing. Therefore, the previously used allotment garden areas were terminated. Parts of the old historic tree population in the upper part will be removed to enable development and the construction of underground car parks. Clearings in the lower part are planned. The castle is still owned by the Esslingen building cooperative. The demolition of several buildings on the site, despite their significance as cultural monuments, and massive construction towards Hohenkreuzweg have affected the original appearance since the 1990s. Palm's Castle and the park ("Baumgarten") represent the former core of the Hohenkreuz district and, as an ensemble, remained almost untouched until well after the Second World War. The aqueduct in the Obertal is, among other things, a testament to the technical progress that connected the property early on (presumably as early as the 16th century) with its own well via water pipes, making it self-sufficient. The history of the Palm family is closely linked to the history of the city of Esslingen. Palm's city palace is today the so-called New Town Hall on the market square.