Join us on a journey into the history of 18th century Stuttgart and the crazy life at the Württemberg court. You will certainly see the palace with different eyes on your next visit – hopefully soon. Enjoy 7 Solitude Palace facts that you certainly didn’t know.
Solitude – but not much
The name of this palace often leads to misunderstandings. Following the fashion of the time to imitate everything that came from France, Duke Carl Eugen decided to call his summer residence Solitude – solitude in French. However, the aristocrat did not want the palace to be a place to reflect and watch the sunsets alone. He really wanted a place to hunt and party, away from the stares and complaints of his Stuttgart neighbors. And boy, did he succeed.
The ultimate party animal
The story goes that one summer, Carl Eugen decided to go on a sleigh ride. As there was no snow, he had a kilometer-long track sprinkled with salt. Many historians have questioned the veracity of this anecdote, but not the credit given to him by the famous Giacomo Casanova. When even the most famous libertine of all time praises you, it means you’re doing something right.
The vanished tower
Every good regent (and every good party king) flaunts his power by literally standing over his subjects. The duke had a round tower built on the dome of his palace for this purpose, of which only drawings remain today. It was the perfect place to control his subjects and ensure that no party started without him.
Party town road
Is it clear yet that Carl Eugen’s priority was partying? So much so that he had a road built from the Residential Palace in Ludwigsburg to Solitude Palace. A 13 km long STRAIGHT road. Whether he did this to make it easier for his coachman or to find an easy way home drunk at night is still unclear. The point is that Solitudeallee not only served its purpose, but was also used almost 50 years later to survey the state of Württemberg. It has even been almost completely preserved.
Carl Eugen “hunting junkie” of Württemberg
Partying was not the only thing the duke enjoyed. Hunting was also his passion. So much so that he employed so many people for it:
- a master hunter
- a hunting secretary
- several court huntsmen
- five to six hunting lads
- one game master
- four master hunters
In other words, almost as many people as Württemberg’s army. Of course, he had to be able to hunt in his new castle. So he had the forests around the castle converted into fields and gardens for this purpose. Fortunately for deer, hares and pheasants, almost nothing remains from this period.
Perhaps a little too expensive
As you have probably already noticed, Duke Carl Eugen was a big spender. Whether for wars, festivals or palaces. The only problem is that it wasn’t his money that he spent. It was the money he received from his subjects through taxes. With the construction of his Solitude, their patience must have run out, because the estates’ representatives (the subjects) traveled to Vienna to denounce him before the emperor. They must have been so angry that our Carl Eugen was not long in coming and soon moved from Stuttgart to Ludwigsburg.
The fugitive poet
Another fact about Solitude Palace is perhaps somewhat unexpected. Friedrich von Schiller must have been the castle’s most famous resident. But he was not there for pleasure, quite the opposite. In 1770, Carl Eugen founded the Karlsschule on the grounds of the palace. It served as a military and art academy and Schiller studied there for several years. However, the poet grew tired of his life there – among other things, he could not leave the palace without the duke’s permission – and he fled to Weimar. While a party was in progress. But of course he did.