Pfullingen Castle

Jagdschloss Pfullingen stands on the site of the old Rempenburg water castle beside the Echaz river in the town of Pfullingen. The original castle belonged to the Remp family until 1487, when it was sold to the dukes of Württemberg. In 1560–65 Duke Christoph had the architect Aberlin Tretsch convert the ruins into a Renaissance hunting lodge. Today only the south-east wing of the four-sided complex survives, forming part of a larger school site. The castle’s greatest treasure was its evangelical chapel, built at the same time as the Stuttgart court church. Duke Christoph gave detailed orders for its furnishings, including carved figures of the twelve articles of faith. The room measured 21.5 by 8.2 metres and was arranged as a preaching church with the pulpit and altar on the courtyard side. Stone columns with richly profiled bases supported a patterned wooden ceiling that gave the space dignity. Visitors now find the south wing occupied by a music school and a kindergarten in the former chapel. The adjacent castle courtyard belongs to the Schloss-Schule Pfullingen, while the Wilhelm-Hauff-Realschule uses other rooms. A stone bridge from 1563 once carried road traffic and still links the grounds to the town centre. Plans for a careful restoration have been discussed for years, aiming to preserve the building’s historic character while adapting it to modern needs.