Friedrichsthal Castle

Duke Friedrich II of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg had Friedrichsthal Palace built between 1708 and 1711. The complex, east of Friedenstein Palace, was designed as a Baroque three-wing structure by the ducal master builder Wolf Christoph Zorn von Plobsheim, following the model of Versailles Palace, and named after the Duke. Originally, the ensemble included a Baroque pleasure garden to the east and an ordnance house to the west, which housed the ducal bodyguard. Between 1747 and 1767, the orangery was built in place of the ordnance house, following plans by Gottfried Heinrich Krohne, creating a symmetrical connection to Friedenstein Palace. In 1793, the original pavilions were replaced by two-story wing buildings.