Friedenstein Castle

Following the division of inheritance in 1640, Duke Ernst I of Saxe-Gotha, known as “Ernst the Pious,” received Gotha as the capital of his new duchy. Lacking a suitable residence, he began early planning for a new castle. Under the direction of master builder Andreas Rudolph and according to designs by Caspar Vogel, the foundation stone for Friedenstein Castle was laid on October 26, 1643. Construction continued until 1654. The castle's name and the “Kiss of Peace” depiction on the north portal, installed in 1650 to commemorate the Peace of Westphalia, reflect the Duke's desire for peace after the devastation of the Thirty Years' War. In the same year, 1650, the Gotha mint was established in the castle's west wing. Between 1654 and 1672, the castle was fortified. Until 1675, it served as a princely residence, and from 1640 to 1894, it was the administrative seat of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha.