Altes Schloss Stuttgart, Germany

1. Castle courtyard

Schlosskirche is the first evangelical church (Lutheran Protestant) rebuilt in 1560-1562 by Aberlin Tretsch. It can be visited after a program, unfortunately we did not find it open.

Also in the castle courtyard is a large bell with the insignia of the royal crown and equestrian statue of Duke Eberhard im Bart von Wuerttemberg cast in cast iron by Ferdinand von Miller in Muenchen in 1859 and which was brought to the courtyard of the Old Palace from the courtyard of honor of the New Palace. The Duke reigned in the 15th century and is the founder of the University of Tuebingen and had one of his residences in the Old Palace. The statue is particularly attractive for its detail and is a favorite place for many visitors to photograph.

On the outside, the castle has the dull appearance of a fortress with straight walls. Seen from the inner courtyard, the appearance becomes even more spectacular. On the ground floor and the first two floors there is a passage aisle along the entire rectangular perimeter of the castle, from where balconies open onto the courtyard on one side or entrances to the castle halls on the other. In two of the castle's corners, circular towers are incorporated in the construction.

In the courtyard there is a terrace-cafeteria.

2. Foyer of the Wuerttemberg State Museum

Access to the museum is from the inner courtyard of the Old Castle. It is organized on several levels.

On the ground floor there is the ticket office, the general information area for visitors, the museum shop. The ticket costs 5,50 Eur for an adult, a very low price for what the museum has to offer, both in terms of presentation, exhibition, as well as the richness and diversity of exhibits. Visitors receive headphones with audio guides in four languages: German, English, Swabian and... children's language. If you wish to be accompanied by a professional guide depending on the composition of the group, the language spoken, the duration of the visit, the prices are in the range of 40 - 100 Eur.

The ground floor room is called the Foyer. On display are a model of the Old Castle, two huge paintings of Queen Olga of Wuerttemberg and King Wilhelm I of Wuerttemberg, a huge plaster cast fresco entitled "Two Horsemen from the West" and other objects. The fresco depicts the procession with which the Athenians began the celebration of the Great Panathenaic every four years. Following the details, as well as the explanations of the clothing of the figures depicted in the fresco, it is clear that the two horsemen are Thracians from the 6th century BC.

3. Legendary works. History to the Romans.

Access to the floors can be made by stairs or elevator. The entrance ticket is valid for each floor. The floors are supervised by a large staff and of course by the museum's security system. The 3rd floor was under construction at the time of my visit. This will be the "Children's Museum", but there will also be temporary exhibitions aimed at children aged between 4 and 10 years old, and look how children's taste for museums can be opened.

We started our visit on the 2nd floor called "Legendary works". It's a very comprehensive exhibition that takes you on a circuitous route through the cultural history of Wuerttemberg from the Paleolithic to the early 20th century. We go through several eras, including the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, then the development of culture during the Celts, the period of Roman domination, the period of the migratory peoples, the Franks, Christian life in the Middle Ages, the Duchy and then the Kingdom of Wuerttemberg. The two towers present "Faith" and "Identities". During your visit you can visit mascot Kathi, which is meant to highlight places where children can do something, discover something, experience something.

There are so many exhibits, just to visit this floor alone you should allow 1 - 1,5 hours, if not more. We admired fossils from 240.000 years old, the history of Neanderthals - the first Europeans (in Germany there is also an impressive Neanderthal Museum in Duesseldorf region), the first plastic representations, the appearance of homo sapiens in Europe, later people become hunters, and later peasants / farmers, weapons and tools from all these periods, the appearance of cities, man discovers metals, they use wood, we see how people lived in the Stone Age, later man masters fire, discovers new raw materials, huge copper bracelets (similar in shape to the Dacian gold ones), adornments appear, bronze gains ground and we slowly reach the period of Roman domination. Present-day southwest Germany, almost uninhabited at the time, is occupied by the Roman Empire. Evidence of the Romans' passage here is on display, inscribed columns, weapons, helmets, shields, statues to Roman deities, Roman coins. Also on display are the games brought by the Romans, such as backgammon and mill.

4. Legendary works. From the Romans to the Middle Ages.

After the Romans, the German territory was populated by Alemanni and Franks. During this period, in the 6th century, oak sarcophagi were built for burials, with hollowed-out oak sarcophagi and carved snakes, considered to be the demonic guardians of the dead, carved on the lids. This was followed by the Byzantine-Venetian era, during which there were close cultural relations between today's southern Germany and northern Italy and Venice, which was then strongly influenced by the Byzantines. Relations also developed politically.

An important chapter is devoted to Christian life in the Middle Ages. Faith was holy. Thus the church becomes in the Middle Ages for people from all walks of life of central importance. The stages of life from baptism to burial are closely connected with church life and are experienced by all people. Several sequences of the crucifixion of a Jesus are presented, from the donkey ride, Jesus carrying his cross, to the moment of crucifixion and Jesus' descent from the cross.

5. Legendary works. Religion. Wuerttemberg.

Later on, in another museum room, we encounter the dilemma: evangelicals or Catholics? In the 16th century, Martin Luther publishes his theses criticizing the followers of the Catholic rite and gains many sympathizers with his ideas. His 95 theses are printed and spread throughout Germany, making Luther a symbol of the times for the new Evangelical-Lutheran faith. Seventeenth-century artifacts highlight weapons, armor and a luxury sleigh. The dominant figure of the time is Duke Carl Eugene, a model of a knight and conqueror, a holder of absolute power, many statues represent him. The 18th century is defined by Baroque wealth (splendor). The 19th century shows the transition from duchy to kingdom. Napoleon's influence did not reach as far south as Wuerttemberg, Baden and Hohenzollern in southern Germany. In the new European order, Wuerttemberg doubled in size and became a kingdom. Four kings ruled the kingdom for 112 years. Symbols of royalty such as crowns and scepters are presented. A walk through time in the corridors and halls of the museum is steeped in the national and industrial state. Wuerttemberg craftsmanship is gaining international recognition. Bernhard Pankok is the co-founder of the reunion workshops for art and crafts.

6. Exhibition of glass objects from four millennia

From the 2nd floor we took the elevator down to the basement (-1). At this level is exhibition of glass objects from four millennia "Ernesto Wolf". It is one of the most valuable glass collections in the world. We trace the development of glass from antiquity to the present day.

Various objects such as vases, glasses, mugs, vases, amphorae, bowls, medicinal bottles, even a scales with glass bowls can be seen in the museum's showcases. Also on the -1st floor are the royal crypt and the collection of clocks and instruments from the Renaissance, an area that I didn't have time to visit.