Weikersheim Palace was founded by Konrad and Heinrich von Wighartesheim, the lords of a water castle first mentioned in 1156. A few years later the family called itself "Hohenlohe" after the Hohenloch castle, which was at times the main residence of the family. The keep of this ring-walled castle lay near the entrance to the village, and its lower section has been preserved until today.
The castle grew in importance when Weikersheim came into the possession of Count Wolfgang II in 1586 as a result of the partitioning of an estate, and he then transferred his residence there. The old castle no longer met the requirements of a renaissance prince and, animated by his travels and a pronounced knowledge of art, Count Wolfgang planned an expansive palace.
One of the best architects at that time, the Dutchman Georg Robin, supplied the draft, which provided a complex with the floor plan of an equilateral triangle. The Staufen keep was included in the planning and was given a baroque cupola after 1680.
At first the lord of the palace had the southern wing built by the architects Beringer and Stegle. This housed the administrative and representation rooms, i.e. the archives, court sitting room, the church and the large "Rittersaal" (Hall of Knights).
Part of the northwestern wing was also completed in the period starting in 1595. It contained the kitchen and residential rooms. The six mighty renaissance roll gables and the opulent decoration of the interiors are still impressive today.