Rauenstein Castle, Pockau-Lengefeld, Germany

Rauenstein Castle guarded the crossing over the River Flöha along the road from Freiberg to Annaberg. The castle is first mentioned in 1323, although from archaeological investigations it is postulated that it had been built by around 1200. The first lords of Rauenstein were the Schellenbergers.

After several changes of ruler, the castle went into the possession of the Electorate of Saxony in 1567. The Amt of Rauenstein was given to Wolkenstein in 1596. Around 1630 large structural changes were made. The road tunnel also dates to this time.

From 1651 to 1743 the castle was rented to the von Römer family, who had become very wealthy as a result of silver mining in the Schneeberg area. Its owner, Christian August Hähnel, who had bought Rauenstein in 1816, his nephew, Wolfgang, Freiherr von Herder (owner from 1843 to 1853) and another family member, Wilhelm Freiherr von Herder, were members of the Saxon Landtag. The next owner, Gottfried Freiherr von Herder, was a German Conservative Reichstag MP from 1893 to 1898.

After its confiscation as part of the land reform in the Soviet Zone of Occupation in 1945, the castle was used as a children's convalescent home. It has been owned by a private family since 1998 and may now only be viewed from the outside.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Bettina Götte (11 months ago)
Cozy, magical and not too overcrowded.....The smallest Christmas market we've ever been to. There was good food, mulled wine of course, a fire to warm up and a story time for the children with the Baron himself. The highlight for the little ones was the craft room.

Nirob Shovon (17 months ago)
One can get a great view from the bottom of the lake. Nearby train station 10 minutes walk.

Jürgen Ehnert (20 months ago)
Super..

Hannelore Berg (2 years ago)
Very beautiful landscape and good parking situation in a great historical ambience with beautiful decoration and a romantic garden. A very interesting and pleasant guided tour through the lovingly renovated rooms. Afterwards there was a great organic quality wine from Styria in the beautiful courtyard of the castle. A big thank you to the great young lords of the castle for the great enrichment of the region!

Gerd Augustin (2 years ago)
We were invited by friends to celebrate a birthday here. It couldn't be nicer. With an expert tour of the castle and an atmospheric conclusion in the romantic inner courtyard, unforgettable memories of this magical place remain.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright diannlroy.com

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial

The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square. The huge monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors and Protestants who were forced into exile 200 years after Hus, and a young mother who symbolises national rebirth. The monument was so large that the sculptor designed and built his own villa and studio where the work could be carried out. It was unveiled in 1915 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus' martyrdom. The memorial was designed by Ladislav Šaloun and paid for solely by public donations.

Born in 1369, Hus became an influential religious thinker, philosopher, and reformer in Prague. He was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the sixteenth century. In his works he criticized religious moral decay of the Catholic Church. Accordingly, the Czech patriot Hus believed that mass should be given in the vernacular, or local language, rather than in Latin. He was inspired by the teachings of John Wycliffe.

Rauenstein Castle

Address

Details

More Information

Rating

Interesting Sites Nearby

User Reviews

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Finest Norman castles in Italy

Exploring the History of Northern Poland

Discovering Slovenia's Historic Wonders

Historic Site of the week

Jan Hus Memorial