Hohenheim Palace, surrounded by botanical gardens and an English park, was Duke Carl Eugen's final project. He had his country estate, the Garbenhof, converted into a representative palace complex as a gift to his paramour Franziska von Hohenheim, who later became his second wife. The foundation stone was laid in 1785. Eight years later Carl Eugen died in the still uncompleted palace, which his successor disliked and allowed to fall into disrepair.
And this is how it stayed until 1818, when King Wilhelm I decided to use it for the newly-founded agricultural college for teaching, research and demonstration purposes – the forerunner of Hohenheim University, which is still located in the palace today.
