Wirtemberg Castle, a ruined hilltop castle, is the second

family seat A family seat or sometimes just called seat is the principal residence of the landed gentry and aristocracy. The residence usually denotes the social, economic, political, or historic connection of the family within a given area. Some families to ...

of the

House of Württemberg The House of Württemberg is a German dynasty and former royal family from Württemberg. History County The House probably originated in the vicinity of the Salian dynasty. Around 1080 the ancestors of modern Württemberg, which was then called ...

, whose ancestors had abandoned Beutelsbach Castle (also known as "Kappelberg Castle"). Built on the

eponymous An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

Württemberg mountain in a spur of the

Schurwald The Schurwald is a wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, southern Germany, which at its highest point is 513.2 m above sea level. It is one of the most important Recreation areas for the Stuttgart area. Over the centuries, the vast forests ...

around above sea level, it is located in the current municipality of Rotenberg in

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...

, between

Bad Cannstatt Bad Cannstatt, also called Cannstatt (until July 23, 1933) or Kannstadt (until 1900), is one of the outer stadtbezirke, or city boroughs, of Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Bad Cannstatt is the oldest and most populous of Stuttgart's b ...

and

Esslingen am Neckar Esslingen am Neckar ( Swabian: ''Esslenga am Neckor'') is a town in the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, seat of the District of Esslingen as well as the largest town in the district. Within Baden-Württemberg it is t ...

. Between 1080 and 1819, three castles with this name existed in the area.

History

First castle

The first castle was constructed in 1080 and has been described as "''fortification with three surrounding walls, several buildings including extensive stables, a courtyard and a stately manor''." The castle's

chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

was consecrated on February 7, 1083.

Conrad I, Count of Württemberg Conrad may refer to: People * Conrad (name) Places United States * Conrad, Illinois, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Indiana, an unincorporated community * Conrad, Iowa, a city * Conrad, Montana, a city * Conrad Glacier, Washington ...

documented the castle on May 2, 1092, signing as a witness. This is the oldest document featuring the name "''Württemberg''." From 1092 to 1495, the castle repeatedly served as the family seat of numerous counts of Württemberg. 1311 saw the first destruction of the castle by the forces of the neighboring

Free imperial cities In the Holy Roman Empire, the collective term free and imperial cities (german: Freie und Reichsstädte), briefly worded free imperial city (', la, urbs imperialis libera), was used from the fifteenth century to denote a self-ruling city that ...

under

Emperor Henry VII Henry VII (German: ''Heinrich''; c. 1273 – 24 August 1313),Kleinhenz, pg. 494 also known as Henry of Luxembourg, was Count of Luxembourg, King of Germany (or '' Rex Romanorum'') from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first empe ...

Second castle

Reconstruction of the castle began in 1311, although in smaller dimensions than the original castle. The second castle was burned down in 1519 when the forces of the

Swabian League The Swabian League (''Schwäbischer Bund'') was a mutual defence and peace keeping association of Imperial State, Imperial Estates – free Imperial cities, prelates, principalities and knights – principally in the territory of the early mediev ...

under the command of

William IV, Duke of Bavaria William IV (german: Wilhelm IV; 13 November 1493 – 7 March 1550) was Duke of Bavaria from 1508 to 1550, until 1545 together with his younger brother Louis X, Duke of Bavaria. He was born in Munich to Albert IV and Kunigunde of Austria, a daugh ...

occupied most of

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...

Third castle

After the destruction of 1519, Duke Ulrich rebuilt the castle for the third and last time. Wirtemberg Castle was eventually dismantled in 1819 during the reign of

William I William I; ang, WillelmI (Bates ''William the Conqueror'' p. 33– 9 September 1087), usually known as William the Conqueror and sometimes William the Bastard, was the first Norman king of England, reigning from 1066 until his death in 1087 ...

after several hundreds years of neglect it had fallen into ruins.

Grave chapel

From 1820 to 1824, Wilhelm I. had the

Württemberg Mausoleum The Württemberg Mausoleum is a mausoleum located on the Württemberg, in the Rotenberg borough of Untertürkheim, in Stuttgart. It was designed by Giovanni Salucci for King William I of Württemberg to house the remains his second wife, Cathe ...

erected for his deceased wife Katharina at the site of the dismantled third castle. Designed by Giovanni Salucci in neoclassical style it has been open to the public since 1907.

Etymology

The spelling of the castle's name has changed numerous times over the centuries. Previous names include ''Wirdeberch'', ''Werdenberc'', and ''Wirtinsberk''. "Württemberg" became official after the establishment of the

Kingdom of Württemberg The Kingdom of Württemberg (german: Königreich Württemberg ) was a German state that existed from 1805 to 1918, located within the area that is now Baden-Württemberg. The kingdom was a continuation of the Duchy of Württemberg, which exist ...

under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

. The humorous wordplay ''"Wirt am Berg"'' has been in common use to this day.

Gallery

File:900-52 Schloss Württemberg.jpg, Burg Württemberg before 1819 (painting by Franz Xaver Odo Müller) File:Grabkapelle fern.jpg, Chapel on the Württemberg File:223Leichenzug Wilhelm.jpg, Transport of the body of Wilhelm I to the chapel on the Württemberg in the early morning hours of 30 June 1864