The city Rudolstadt is one of those royal
seats of Thuringia where the historically grown structures have been
preserved until today. Heidecksburg Castle, a magnificient Thuringian
Baroque palace, the Old City closely nestles against castle hill. 
Thanks to the spatial interaction between Heidecksburg Castle and medieval
city core, an impressive urban ensemble has developed. It is possible
to show the different stages of the evolution of the city, even though
nothing has remained of the original structures. This is especially
true of the residential areas which were built in the early to high
Middle Ages. Most houses in the Old City date from the l5th to l6th
centuries.
The area of Rudolstadt was free of glaciers during all Ice Ages, and
as early as 6000 years ago, hunters and pickers of different cultural
groups passed through or stayed in the caves around Rudolstadt. About
3000 years ago, hunters of small animals and fishermen, farmers and
cattle breeders settled down, building small settlements with wooden
houses. 
In
the later Iron Age, Celts settled down in the area, and in the year
150 AD, a first group of Teutons settled in the area Northwest of Rudolstadt.
The name "Rudolfestat" is first mentioned in a Latin list of goods from
the beginning of the 9th century, made by the Benedictine monastery
of Hersfeld, which had been promoted to imperial abbey on January 5th,
775. The castle of "Rudolfestat" must have been founded by Frank nobility.
A settlement developed under the protection of the fortified castle
which might have been in existence as early as the 7th century. On the
road to Weimar, a cross near the Stadtkirche (Town Church) marks the
centre of this settlement, the oldest, whose existence has been proved
by tombs.
1326 First mentioned as a city
1337 Part of the principality of Schwarzburg
1571-1918 Residence of the principality Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
1635 First mentioned a residencal orchestre
1722 First famous public festival "Vogelschiessen" in Rudolstadt
(over 1,000,000 visitors today)
1788 First meeting of Goethe and Schiller in Rudolstadt
1792 The theatre was founded
1813 A. Schopenhauer in Rudolstadt
1829 Paganini in the theatre
1834 Richard Wagner in Rudolstadt
1874 Connecting with the German railway system
Pictures: Castle Heidecksburg, historic marketplace
with the townhall
Custom Steins Production
