The south-west is a fascinating part of Germany for royal history. Before the French Revolution, what is now the federal state of Baden-Württemberg was made-up of dozens of royal duchies and sovereign territories as members of the Holy Roman Empire. Twenty years later, after Napoleon had cut a swathe through these small German courts, there were just four. The thrilling royal history and vanished kingdoms of Baden-Württemberg have left a rich legacy of beautiful castles and palaces.Schloss is the German word for castle or palace. This book visits twenty-five schlösser (the plural of schloss) in Baden-Württemberg and tells some colourful stories of the historical royal families connected with them. The royal states swept away had long and riveting histories – the Palatinate, Hohenlohe, a host of little territories around Lake Constance ... Those that survived saw an increase in territory and an elevation in rank – Württemberg became a kingdom and Baden a grand duchy. Alliance with France was cemented by marriage into Napoleon’s family; enforced conscription meant there was a worse price to pay. Over twenty thousand men from Württemberg and Baden marched to Moscow with Napoleon’s army – only a few hundred came back. Schloss in Baden-Württemberg is the author’s fifth book about The Fascinating Royal History of German Castles. It includes the glorious summer palace of the ‘other’ Wittelsbach princes who ruled not Bavaria but in the Rhineland; the delightful lakeside party schloss where a king of Württemberg showcased his high-born English wife; the ancient mountain castle of the Hohenzollerns who never moved to Prussia; a grand baroque palace near Lake Constance that bankrupted its royal family and forced them to sell their state to Austria; and more …With over 80 illustrations and 20 family trees, this book should appeal to anyone who likes history, sightseeing, or is interested in people’s personal stories. The author’s other books, called Schloss, Schloss II, Schloss III, and Schloss in Bavaria are also available. In English, paperback edition, 242 pages, 90 black&white illustrations with 20 familytrees, size 21.6x14cm.
