The Golden Hall gives the impression of a royal Württemberg ceremonial hall from the Renaissance and is considered one of the most beautiful ceremonial halls of its kind in southwest Germany. Count Eberhard III had it built, Duke Johann Friedrich commissioned its splendid decor.
Renaissance paintings grace the walls.
The Golden Hall is located on the third floor of the palace. Its original appearance immediately after its construction in the 15th century is not known. Its present decor, leading to its name, “Golden Hall,” can be traced to 1609, when Duke Johann Friedrich had the hall refurnished in the lavish late Renaissance style in honor of his wedding to Princess Barbara Sophie von Brandenburg. The couple's initials can be found in different places around the hall.
One of the most beautiful German ceremonial halls of the Renaissance.
The Golden Hall is flooded with light. The ribbon windows that traverse the three exterior walls afford views of the town and the landscape around the palace. They make the hall appear surprisingly wide and bright. Magnificently embellished Corinthian columns support the lavish ceiling. Likely in remembrance of Count Eberhard V, all the walls are covered with his motto, “attempto,” and huge palm trees. It also appears several times in the doorways of both grand portals.
Magnificently embellished stove in the Golden Hall.
Upon entering the room, the richly gilded ceilings and wall decor are immediate indicators of how the hall got its name. Ornate murals and magnificent ornamented representations form the festive framework for the hall's vivid decor. Of the original inventory, only a few pieces have survived, including a magnificent stove with rich representational decor. The iron stovebox is from 1665.
Ornate details: The figures depicting mermaids, often used in coats of arms, form the base of the magnificent stove.
One of the splendid portals in the Golden Hall.
The decor in the Golden Hall is a Renaissance masterpiece. The artist responsible is a mystery today. However, it has been linked to the graphical work of Wendel Dietterlin (1550–1599). This important painter, architect and architectural theorist had previously collaborated on the decor in the new pavilion in Stuttgart. In 1598, his seminal book was published, in which he provided plans for architectural and interior decor designs. His ideas are especially represented in the composition of the two lavishly decorated, grand portals as well as in the wall decor of the Golden Hall.
