Schloss Kirchheim (Teck)

Over the 17th century, the castle's military importance,[2] and even appearance, eroded.[7] The Dukes of Württemberg began to use it as a jagdschloss,[2] or as a dower house when required,[3] and laid out gardens around it.[7] Underscoring all this, in 1688, during the Nine Years' War, Dowager Duchess Maria Dorothea Sophia von Oettingen secured Kirchheim's protection from destruction by French troops from General Joseph de Montclar.[8] Duke Eberhard Louis's wife, Johanna von Baden-Durlach, moved into Kirchheim Palace in 1735 rather than Leonberg Castle, and she made some modest revisions to the residence.[9]

In the mid-18th century, Duke Charles Eugene in particular made use of Kirchheim Palace and Stuttgart's Schloss Solitude for his hunting trips.[10] His visits to Kirchheim unter Teck were accompanied by retinues of over 400 people who found lodging and services with the town's people.[8] In 1767, Charles Eugene converted the palace's plant nursery into an opera house. Four years later, in 1771, Charles Eugene led a 411-person retinue to Kirchheim for the autumn hunt. Among them was his Chamblerin, the Baron von Leutrum, and his young wife, Franziska von Hohenheim. Charles Eugene fell in love with Franziska over the trip and ended his relationship with his mistress, Catharina Bonafini.[10] Charles Eugene made Franziska his new mistress months later, then later married the Duke in 1785. The two built Hohenheim Palace, which was deeded to Franziska by Charles Eugene in 1772, but when the Duke died in 1791, this was not respected. Charles Eugene's successor, his brother Louis Eugene, also did not recognize Franzisk's status as Dowager Duchess. As such, Franziska was divested of Hohenheim Palace and, in 1795, was exiled to Kirchheim Palace in 1795 without much of her inventory. Finding Kirchheim Palace not to her taste,[11] Franziska tasked Charles Eugene's court architect, Reinhard Heinrich Ferdinand Fischer, with modernizing the palace while she furnished it with what she could bring from Solitude and Hohenheim Palaces.[12] Franziska led a quiet, and at times monotonous,[13] life at Kirchheim and died there on 1 January 1811.[11]

In 1810, the reigning King Frederick I exiled his brother Louis and his family to Kirchheim for Louis's expensive lifestyle and outstanding debts. Louis, his wife Henriette von Nassau-Weilburg, and their five children moved into the palace in 1811 and were to live austerely. Louis's death in 1817 freed the family,[14] and allowed Henriette to renovate the palace once again.[12] Henriette also became very involved in the municipal community after Louis's death, establishing vocational schools and orphanages, and organizing outreach programs.[15] After Henriette's own death in 1857, her furnishings were auctioned off, and all palatial residents except for the groundskeeper left.[2]

In 1922, the municipal history museum moved into the palace's chapel. Under the Nazis, this was turned over to and used by the Nazi Party.[2] After 1947, the palace housed a teacher's college and learning center.[2]

Kirchheim Castle is one of the monuments and maintained by the heritage agency Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Baden-Württemberg. The grand living spaces on the south side of the second floor are set up as a palace museum and are open to the public. They are dedicated to the last two residents, Franziska and Henriette. Most of Franziska's furniture has been preserved, and this allowed the state of the castle during Franziska's days to be restored when the castle was reconditioned in 1985 and 1997.