Düsseldorf Castle

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The Düsseldorf Castle stood in the Altstadt of Düsseldorf from 1260 to 1872 (with the last remaining parts demolished in 1896). It began as a lowland castle on a small island where the Düssel enters the Rhine, built by the Counts of Düsseldorf. Over the centuries it grew into a grand palace, with major expansions in 1549 under William, Duke of Jülich-Cleves-Berg; in the late 17th century under Elector Jan Wellem; and in 1755 under Charles Theodore.

The castle became famous for the Düsseldorf Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie Düsseldorf), built between 1709 and 1712 as the first independent gallery building, which housed a world-renowned collection of Renaissance and Baroque paintings until 1805. From 1817 to 1848 part of the palace served as a mint for the Kingdom of Prussia. Starting in 1845, the former residence was developed to house the Rhine Province Parliament (Provinzial-Diet) and, for decades, the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.

In the night of 19–20 March 1872, a major fire destroyed much of the palace, especially the Rhine-side wing. The south wing was torn down in 1896. Today the Burgplatz stands on the castle site, named for its historic use. Only the Schlossturm (castle tower) remains, now housing the Schifffahrtsmuseum. In the square’s pavement you can still see an outline of the old castle floor plan made from differently colored stones.