Öster Malma Castle was built in the 1660s by the Swedish Board of Customs administrator Wilhelm Drakenhjelm. Today the Baroque style castle still retains its original façade. The 18th century was the heyday of castle and beautiful parks and flowery terraces towards the lake and orchards were built a century later. Through actions taken by the chairman of the Svenska Jägareförbundet (Swedish association for hunting and wildlife management) Prince Gustav Adolf, the organisation was able to rent the facility for hunting and game education in 1947.
Today the castle is characterised by the history of hunting, modern nature art and reception halls with furniture typical of the period. The environment, steeped in fine old traditions, is a colourful contribution to a conference or wedding.
References:Sigmaringen Castle was first mentioned in the year 1077 in the chronicles of Petershausen monastery. The oldest parts of the castle are concealed beneath the alterations made during the 17th and the 19th centuries. The secret of the earliest settlement built on this defendable rock will never be fully revealed: large-scale excavation work would be necessary, which the extensive land development renders impossible. Judging from the many Roman remains unearthed in the area around Sigmaringen, the 12th century keep known as the 'Roman Tower' could be traced back to a Roman predecessor.
The castle remains that have been preserved (gate, great hall and keep) date back to the Staufer period around 1200. The castle remains were integrated into subsequent buildings. The foundations of the castle buildings are to a large extent identical to the surrounding castle wall.
These remains give us a good idea of how the castle might have looked during the 12th century.