The origins of the castle lie in the Katzenelnbogen time. In the middle of the 13th century the counts of Katzenelnbogen built a moated castle in Darmstadt. In 1330 Darmstadt received town rights, one year later the castle is mentioned for the first time in a document. From 1386, the moated castle loses importance and becomes a widow's residence and secondary residence. In the following two centuries, the counts of Katzenelnbogen extended and rebuilt the castle again and again. Until the middle of the 15th century the castle was transformed into a representative castle and Darmstadt became Katzenelnbogen's second residence. What remains of the moated castle are the form of the central church courtyard and the outer walls of the manor house. When the last count von Katzenelnbogen died in 1479, Darmstadt fell to Henry III, Landgrave of Upper Hesse. When Philip I took over the government offices in 1518, the castle was destroyed for the first time in an attack by Franz von Sickingen. The castle was rebuilt in the following years, but with essentially the same defensive structures. During the Schmalkaldic War in 1546 it was destroyed again by imperial troops. Landgrave George I considerably extended the castle from 1567 to a Renaissance complex and secured it with moats and bastions. The half-timbered floors of the former palace and the hall are rebuilt from stone. The buildings received new roofs. Christoph Müller, Jakob Wust and from 1580 Jakob Kesselhuth developed the old moated castle into a residential palace. After 1589 the office, the stables and the arsenal were built, which no longer exist today. From 1594, the landgrave had orphans educated in the castle. From 1595 to 1597 the "Kaisersaal" (Emperor's room) and the church were built. The tympanum corridor, which connects the manor with the church, was also built.