Castle, area, foundation 
Then...
Originally a 15th century castle built in water, Schloss Benrath served as a hunting lodge and summer house.  It was in the 18th century that court architect Nicolas de Pigage (1723 – 1798) was comissioned by Kurfürsten Carl Theodor, prince of Palatinate, to design a new summer house in the style of a French ‘maison de plaisance’.  The ailing main building of the castle built in water was pulled down and only the orangerie was saved.  The style of the new castle and grounds are wonderful examples of the shift from rococo to classicism.  Piage was able to create a harmonic mixture of architecture, gardens, sculpting and painting

… and now
Two wings and two gate houses flank the Corps de Logis, which can be viewed on guided tours on the hour, every hour.  The wings house the Museum of European Garden Art and the Museum of Natural History.  Changing exhibitions and musical events take place in the Corps de Logis itself.The whole of the castle and grounds were classified as historical monuments by the town of Düsseldorf in 1996, when it also made the recommendation that the castle and grounds be listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

The Foundation
On 3rd March 2000 in the cupola room of the castle a private foundation was established.  It is supported, amongst others, by the town of Düsseldorf and its goal is to retain Schloss Benrath and the grounds as a work of art, to use them and treat them in a way suitable for historical monuments and to allow access for the general public.  The three museums uphold this goal.

Further information: www.stiftung-schloss-und-park-benrath.de