Confessions of a Castleholic

Over the past five years Confessions of a Castleholic has existed, we have talked A LOT about castles built in the Weser-Renaissance style, a local variation of the architectural style of the 15th and 16th century, predominantly found in the area around the River Weser in central and northern Germany. While Schloss Hehlen is our seemingly gazillionth example of the Weser-Renaissance style, it is actually the first castle to feature the River Weser on a shot of it. The castle owes its existence to Count Fritz von der Schulenburg and his wife Ilse von Saldern. The castle on the banks of one of Northern Germany's most prominent rivers was built as one of the earliest examples of Weser-Renaissance style between 1570 and 1584.  Fritz, however, never lived in the castle but left it to his estranged wife Ilse. The pretty massive four-winged castle encloses a courtyard and features several towers. Still usually called  Wasserschloss   Hehlen (water castle),...

If you are into royal history, you probably know the name of today castle's from at least one person, Princess Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-(Wolfenbüttel-)Bevern, the wife of Friedrich the Great of Prussia. The Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern had been created due to an inheritance dispute between Princess Elisabeth Christine's grandfather, Duke Ferdinand Albrecht I, and his brothers.  In 1667, Duke Ferdinand Albrecht I was given the castle of Bevern located near to the town of Holzminden not far from another castle already covered on this blog, Schloss Corvey . He - and later his son Ferdinand Albrecht II - were subsequently styled as princes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern. In 1735, after the death of his cousin Duke Ludwig Rudolf, Ferdinand Albrecht II inherited the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel and thus the subordinate Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel-Bevern returned to the overarching Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. Schl...