The heavily fortified Marstall, which extends for 135 meters
along the Neckar River, was built to serve as an armory in
case war broke out, probably under Prince Elector Ludwig V
around 1510. Two towers featuring embrasures for shooting
through flank the formidable walls. On the north side, which
was right at the waters edge before the docks and the
street next to the Neckar were built in the 19th century,
there was a place for ships to moor.
The name Marstall dates back to a Renaissance structure on
the south side of the courtyard that was built by Count Johann
Casimir of the Palatinate in 1590 and destroyed by French
troops in 1693. The Marstall complex, one of Heidelbergs
few still-intact late medieval structures, has been remodeled
several times and today harbors a student cafeteria, rooms
for holding events, and the administration of the students
union.