Wolkenburg Castle stands proudly at the top of a steep rock face near Chemnitz. From 1635, the medieval structure was redesigned as a Renaissance castle – and subsequently a baroque castle – by the von Einsiedel family, who kept hold of Wolkenburg Castle for over 300 years.
Count Detlev Carl von Einsiedel commissioned the classicist redevelopment of the main building around 1790. The Banquet Hall is still adorned with stucco reliefs and portrait medallions. The two-story library in the attic is reminiscent of a Venetian palazzo. The living rooms provide a glimpse of aristocratic family life. As the owner of the art foundry in Lauchhammer, the count helped to develop a process for the production of large cast-iron sculptures, some of which are now exhibited in the castle park. Several open-air events are held at this romantic venue.
References:House of the Blackheads (Melngalvju nams) is a building situated in the old town of Riga. The original building was erected during the first third of the 14th century for the Brotherhood of Blackheads, a guild for unmarried German merchants in Riga. Major works were done in the years 1580 and 1886, adding most of the ornaments.
The structure was bombed to a ruin by the Germans June 28, 1941 and the remains demolished by the Soviets in 1948. The current reconstruction was erected from 1995 to 1999. Today the House of Blackheads serves as a museum and sometimes concert hall.