Golden Jupiter crowns the roof.
The stately palace lies slightly above the town. High atop the roof shines golden Jupiter, colloquially called the "golden man." It symbolizes the palace's builder, Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden-Baden, who ruled between 1677 and 1707. In 1700, he was the first prince on the Upper Rhine to decide to build a modern residence, in place of the previously started hunting lodge.
Portrait of Margrave Ludwig Wilhelm.
The palace is one of the earliest German examples of the imitation of the system at Versailles. The glorification of the sovereign through architecture, paintings and stucco is especially distinct here. The margrave flaunted his military service within the palace—as an imperial general, he had been successful in the Great Turkish War, which is where he received his nickname "Türkenlouis." In 1705, the family took up residence in one wing of the palace, but the margrave could not enjoy his new home for long.
Margravine Sibylla Augusta von Baden-Baden.
Ludwig Wilhelm died in January of 1707. His wife, Sibylla Augusta, took over as regent for twenty years while her son, Ludwig Georg, was still under age. Sibylla Augusta completed the palace interior and expanded the residence with additional buildings. Her Favorite Palace, a summer palace, which is located only a few kilometers from the Residential Palace, speaks to her love of art. Both palaces remained intact through World War II.
The state and private apartments and their impressive decor are accessible to visitors as part of a tour. Luminous frescoes by Italian artists, tapestries, furniture and the stories of the palace's inhabitants still bring the Baroque period to life today. The Military History Museum and the Memorial to Freedom Movements in German History are housed in the wings.
The staircase contains original stucco.
