Osterstein Castle is the former castle of the town of Zwickau, today it houses the nursing home.
First mentioned in 1292, it was badly damaged in a fire in 1403, and demolished between 1404 and 1407 under William I, Margrave of Meissen. It was rebuilt during the reign of Christian I, Elector of Saxony in 1587-1590 as a magnificent Renaissance castle.
In the 18th century Zwickau Prison was established in the castle, which with interruptions, was used until after the Second World War. There were numerous prominent prisoners, including Karl May, August Bebel, Rosa Luxemburg and Martin Hoop.
During the Second World War, it was used as a concentration camp. On 31 December 1962, after 187 years, the use of the castle as a prison ended, although a public bathhouse continued to operate in an intermediate wing of modern construction, on the Dr.-Friedrich-Ring. The former arsenal and the cell block were used to house the archives of the local coal mining industry, and for storage by various local businesses. Parts of the premises were demolished.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.