Karlsberg Castle - Destruction

Destruction

After the outbreak of the French revolution and the begin of the first coalition war (1792–1797), the duke held a neutral position in relation to the revolutionary government of France. The dukedom of Zweibrücken had a close relationship to France. There even served a Royal Deux-Ponts Regiment, within the French army, which participated in several battles, especially the siege of Yorktown, where they played a prominent part of taking redoubt 9. As compensation for this policy of neutrality, the duke was granted neutrality by the French government. Because of this guarantee, unlike other princes, the duke stayed within his dukedom, close to the French territory and the French armies. After the execution of Louis XVI, Charles II August was to be put on trial in front of a revolutionary tribunal, which would have meant his death. Before French troops could arrest him, he was warned by a nearby farmer and was able to escape to Mannheim, to live in his castles of Mannheim and Rohrbach near Heidelberg.

Within the next six months, French and Prussian troops alternately gained control of the region around the castle. Protected by the Prussian army, the equipment was transported to Mannheim too.

When the French troops capitulated in Mainz, the relief troops retired back home to France. Leaving the region, they marauded the castle and the residents of the nearby villages were allowed to plunder the buildings. On the eve of July 28, the French soldiers set fire to the main buildings. To be able to do so, about one hundred cartloads of straw had to be transported from Metz.

The fire did not destroy all of the buildings. The mansion was destroyed, but most of the service rooms and farming buildings were unaffected.

In the aftermath, the castle hill was still inhabited. In November 1793, there were still children born and documented in the church register. Until 1797, the court still settled accounts concerning the castle, although there were no real efforts to secure or maintain the buildings. Therefore the buildings decayed even more. Napoleon returned the ruins to the duke's widow, under the condition that she remove all the ruins.

Parts of the furniture and equipment were auctioned off after the death of Charles II August. The rest was spread on several castles and museums of the house of Wittelsbach.

• The furniture was used in Nymphenburg castle, Berchtesgaden castle and the residences of Munich Würzburg and Bamberg.
• The collection of arms can be seen in the Historic Museum of the Palatinate, the German museum of hunting and fishing in Munich and Berchtesgaden castle.
• Parts of the silverware are located in the silver chamber of the Munich Rezidenz.
• The paintings formed the core of the Alte Pinakothek art collection.
• The graphic collection came to the state graphic collection in Munich.
• The coins were included in the state coin collection in Munich.
• The books now are part of the Bamberg State Library.