It is one of the first purpose-built archive buildings in Germany, even if you can't tell from its façade. According to the Grand Duke's wishes, the architectural language is based on the Italian Renaissance. Inside, the building was adapted to meet today's requirements for a modern archive. The building houses the collections from 944 to 1920 and was considered a perfect example of a functional magazine archive when it was built in 1885. The nearby "Marstall" building complex on Schlossplatz houses the holdings from 1920 onwards. The "Gestapo Cellar Memorial" can also be visited there.