Feel the cool cobblestones beneath your feet. This is Schillerplatz. This isn’t just any square. It’s Stuttgart’s heart beating since at least the 12th century. Before that a mare house stood here. Imagine horses. Hundreds of them. A bustling horse breeding area.
Schillerstein is the focal point. The Schiller memorial. It wasn’t always here. Erected in 1839 by Bertel Thorvaldsen it’s Germany’s first Schiller memorial. This imposing statue stands proudly. It’s a testament to Friedrich Schiller one of Baden-Wurttemberg’s most influential figures. A poet philosopher historian playwright. His legacy lives on here in this place named in his honor.
But Schillerstein’s history goes deeper. Much deeper. In 1594 Duke Friedrich I decided to transform this area. He wanted a Renaissance square. Homes were bought and demolished. Cobblestones laid. ‘Castle and Chancellery Square’ it was called then. The dimensions haven’t changed.
Look around you. You see the Fruchtkasten. Now home to musical instruments from the State Museum of Wurttemberg. It’s a late Gothic building. It’s been there for centuries. A silent witness to history.
See the Prinzenbau? It took a while to build. From 1607 to 1677. It’s now the Baden-Wurttemberg Ministry of Justice. Imagine the courtly life here. The intrigues the decisions. History unfolds around us in this place.
Then there’s the Stiftskirche. The Collegiate Church. It’s been a part of this place for a very long time. Even before the mare house. It’s Stuttgart’s main church. Think about that.
Schillerplatz changed again in 1934. It became Schillerplatz officially. The square had already lived a long life. World War II ravaged this area. Buildings were destroyed. But they rebuilt. Almost everything. Except for the King of England Inn.
Beneath your feet is a secret. An underground car park built in 1972-73. It is a testament to how things change.
Schillerstein. More than just a statue. It’s a marker. A reminder of history. Of lives lived. Of the enduring spirit of Stuttgart itself. Take a moment. Breathe the history in.