Rastatt

Rastatt , city (1994 pop. 48,574), Baden-Württemberg, SW Germany, on the Murg River, near the French border; sometimes spelled Rastadt. Manufactures include machinery, lumber, beer, and furniture. First mentioned in 1247, Rastatt was destroyed (1689) by the French, but was soon rebuilt and served (1705–71) as the residence of the margraves of Baden-Baden. The Treaty of Rastatt (Mar., 1714) complemented the treaties signed at Utrecht and Baden in 1713–14 (see Utrecht, Peace of ); together they ended the War of the Spanish Succession. As a result of the Treaty of Campo Formio (1797), a congress of the states of the Holy Roman Empire (attended by France) was held (1797–99) at Rastatt in order to determine compensation for the member states that had lost territory near the Rhine River to France during the French Revolutionary Wars ; the congress was prematurely adjourned after the resumption of hostilities against France. Noteworthy city buildings include a baroque palace (17th–18th cent.) and several 18th-century churches.