Pug Memorial Winnenden

In front of Winnental Palace, between the gatehouse and the main building, there's a memorial which is probably unique: a stone sculpture of a pug dog commemorates the one owned by Duke Karl Alexander.

A field marshall in the service of Austria, the duke led the imperial army against the Osmanian troops during the Battle of Belgrade in the year 1717. In the heat of battle, as legend goes, the dog and its master were separated, and the pug found its way back to Winnental on its own. After its death, its master erected this monument as an expression of his joy and gratitude.