At the beginning of the 16th century, the Isenburg family chose Offenbach as their residence and seat of their state administration. They had a stately palace built on the site of a crumbling Gothic moated castle. Completed in 1559, it burned down in 1564. During its reconstruction, the galleries were preserved, which they still use today as a part of the city. After the Isenburg counts were elevated to princely status in 1748, they no longer used the palace as their residence, but instead moved to more comfortable houses in the city center. In 1816, they lost control of their principality. Offenbach fell to the Grand Duchy of Hesse-Darmstadt. Since the early 2000s, the palace has been used by the Academy of Design. While the northern facade, facing the Main River, resembles a defiant fortress, the viewer will be surprised by the view from the inner courtyard: With its graceful galleries, the south facade of Isenburg Palace is considered one of the most beautiful examples of the Renaissance north of the Alps.