Ludwigsburg Castle

Ludwigsburg Castle is a three-winged city palace in Rudolstadt, Thuringia. It was built between 1734 and 1741 below Heidecksburg Castle in the Baroque style. At its location, there was most likely an older castle, destroyed in 1345, whose still existing round tower is said to have been blown up in 1730 for the construction of the castle, according to tradition.

The architecturally prominent central wing contains a Rococo hall extending over two floors with rich wall decorations.

The castle initially served as a residence for Prince Ludwig Günther, the uncle of Prince Johann Friedrich of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt. After Johann Friedrich's death, Ludwig Günther moved to Heidecksburg Castle in 1767 as his successor. After the fire there, the castle also briefly served as the residence of the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt family.

Subsequently, the princely drawing school was located in the castle. At times, the building served as a meeting place for the Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt Landtag, a museum, a ministerial residence, a teacher training college, and a kindergarten. Until 1919, the Naturalienkabinett, well-known far beyond the borders of Rudolstadt, was housed here.

Today, the listed castle is the seat of the Thuringian State Audit Office.