The 19th century was an extremely diverse era marked by cultural, scientific, and political upheavals. The rapid social developments that began during this time continue to resonate today—the nation-state, the belief in progress, as well as the artistic breakthroughs of this period provide impulses for global developments that are still relevant, including in the Bergstrasse region. Schloss Heiligenberg near Seeheim-Jugenheim served as the backdrop for a first colloquium in October 2018, which focused on the castle as a meeting point for the Battenbergs with the international high nobility and European politics in the 19th century. The second colloquium in March 2020 now addresses the aforementioned developments that continue to be influential today, aiming to gain an understanding of the historical transformation processes of the 19th century, particularly concerning the Bergstrasse region, and to reflect on current developments based on that understanding. The volume edited by Dr. Joachim Horn and Jürgen Kerwer includes contributions from Prof. Dr. Birgit Aschmann on "The 19th Century - Breakthrough of Modernity?", Prof. Dr. Hermann Schäfer on "From Almshouse to the Threshold of Industrialization", Prof. Dr. Volkhard Huth on "Heiligenberg and Europe", and "Aesculapius on the Magic Mountain - the Sanatorium of Rudolf Laudenheimer and his Illustrious Guests", as well as from Prof. Frank Oppermann on "On Villa Architecture in the 19th Century and its Influence on Architecture in the Region".