Ernst the Pious made Gotha a royal seat in 1640 and therefore shaped the city’s appearance and history like no other.

The staunch Protestant commissioned the construction of Europe’s largest Early Baroque palace, Friedenstein Palace, during the Thirty Year’s War, was a pioneer of modern state with reforms like the introduction of compulsory education and was considered to be the “grandfather of Europe” because his successors can be found in all European royal houses.

The English statesman Oliver Cromwell ranked him among the cleverest people of this time.