Almost four centuries after the Ingelheim imperial palace was established by the Carolingians, the Hohenstaufen had the entire Palatinate area renovated and converted into a castle. The semicircular building at the local site was secured by a defensive wall, the gate opening was closed. In the 14th century the Palatinate lost its function as a ruler's seat and an Augustinian canon monastery was set up in the Aula regia for a few decades. From 1402 the Palatinate area was released for settlement. The stable walls offered the residents safe protection from armed conflicts on the one hand and valuable building material on the other. This transformed the manorial building into a settlement area for the citizens of Ingelheim, who from then on settled in and around the remains of the former imperial palace.
The development from the "Palatinate of the Staufer" to a "Palatinate of the citizens" is shown in more detail in the "Themed House Staufer and Citizens" using text panels, exhibits and computer presentations.
