Schloss Winnental

Schloss Winnental stands in Winnenden in the Rems-Murr district of Baden-Württemberg. It began as a commandery of the Teutonic Order founded in 1288 by Berthold von Neuffen. After passing to Württemberg in the 14th century, the oldest part of the present complex, the Komturbau, was built around 1300. By 1593 a map by Georg Gadner shows the Komturbau with an eastern wing, outer buildings and a curtain wall with a walkway. The castle became the seat of the Württemberg line Württemberg-Winnental in 1677 under Friedrich Carl. In 1684–88 the architect Matthias Weiß added a three-storey Corps de Logis to the east of the Komturbau, soon followed by a further wing called the Kavalierbau, completing the three-wing layout. Duke Eberhard III bought the commandery in 1665 for 48,000 gulden and later had a stone tower and timber oriel added to the Komturbau. Today the building houses the Klinikum Schloß Winnenden. Parts of the original castle, including the Komturbau with its oriel and the Corps de Logis, survive within the hospital grounds. A small garden laid out for Sophie Albertine in the late 18th century remains near the main building. Later additions include a clock tower on the Corps de Logis and extensions to the wings in the 1870s. The east wing was rebuilt in 1975 and the interior fully renovated.