Could these walls tell stories of emperors and tsars? Here we are at the Rohrbacher Schlösschen in Heidelberg. It is more than just a building. It’s a portal to a bygone era. The Rohrbacher Schlösschen, also known as Schloss Rohrbach or Altes Schlösschen, sits in the heart of Heidelberg’s Rohrbach district. It nestles within a park on the grounds of the Thoraxklinik Heidelberg.
Around 1770, Duke Carl II. August of Palatinate-Zweibrücken built this charming structure. He envisioned it as a hunting lodge. A sprawling landscape park in the English style surrounded the late Baroque building. Friedrich Ludwig Sckell, a garden architect, designed this park.
In 1795, Duke Carl August’s younger brother, Max Joseph, inherited the estate. Max Joseph was the last Elector of Palatinate-Bayern. He later became the first King of Bavaria. In 1803, Max Joseph gifted the Rohrbacher Schlösschen to his cousin and mother-in-law, Margravine Amalie of Baden. The Rhine Palatinate had just become part of Baden. Margravine Amalie transformed the late Baroque country house into a neoclassical gem. Friedrich Weinbrenner oversaw this conversion. She primarily used it as a summer residence.
One of the Schlösschen’s most glamorous moments occurred in 1815. Czar Alexander I met Emperor Franz I of Austria here. They dined with the Margravine in the Great Dining Hall. In 1832, after the Margravine’s death, Georg von Stulz acquired the Schlösschen. He was married to one of Amalie’s ladies-in-waiting.
The “Verein für Genesungsfürsorge” purchased the estate in 1898. The Schlösschen served as a military hospital during the First World War. From 1920, it housed a tuberculosis hospital. In 1928, it became a modern specialist clinic for tuberculosis and thoracic surgery. By 1931, the Schlösschen was used for teaching, administration, and lectures.
The Rohrbacher Schlösschen stands as a rectangular, two-story neoclassical building. A three-axis central projection adorns its facade. A frieze embellishes the upper section. The hall, fully restored in 2005, can be rented from the clinic administration for events.
Today, the Rohrbacher Schlösschen no longer functions as a hospital. Instead, it serves administrative and training purposes. The grounds are open to the public. As you wander through this enchanting space, imagine the echoes of royal conversations. Picture the elegant gatherings that once filled this Schlösschen with life. It is a testament to Heidelberg’s rich history. The Rohrbacher Schlösschen stands as a reminder of the powerful figures who shaped its destiny.