Rastatt Castle

After the residence of Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm of Baden-Baden was destroyed in the War of the Palatine Succession in 1689, and a new building in Baden-Baden no longer met the representative demands, the desire for a new residence arose. From 1697, the Italian court architect Domenico Egidio Rossi began constructing a hunting lodge in the market town of Rastatt. When the wing buildings were completed in 1699 and the main building had begun, the Margrave decided to erect a residence instead. Retaining the existing wings and parts of the hunting lodge's main building, the shell of the current palace was completed by 1702. Rastatt was elevated to city status in 1700. As early as 1701/02, the Margrave and his family moved into the wing buildings, followed by the court in 1705. The residence served not only as a home for the family and court but also for the government, administration, and servants. Ludwig Wilhelm, who had hoped for an electoral dignity from his military successes in the Turkish Wars and on the Rhine, invested around 12 million guilders to underscore his claims to power with this building. However, he died in 1707 from a war injury. During the French occupation, Margravine Franziska Sibylla Augusta left the palace.