Ludwig Wilhelm Gymnasium, Rastatt's oldest high school, is home to the Rastatt Historical Library. Originally conceived in 1715 as a monastery library, its holdings are now of such quality that the institution occupies a place among the top German and Baden-Württemberg high school libraries. It has around 80,000 volumes, including more than 160 incunabula from the early days of printing, medieval and modern manuscripts, and unique items from the 15th and 16th centuries. Since 1987, the Historical Library has fulfilled not only library but also museum tasks and has had the status of a "cultural monument of special importance" since 2004.
