Confessions of a Castleholic

At first glance, Schulzendorf is just one of the hundreds of villages scattered in the vicinity of Berlin. At second glance, when driving through the village, it is hard to miss its unique selling point: It's Schloss . Located in the heart of the village and a former knight's estate, Schloss Schulzendorf owes its current appearance to Jewish businessmen Moritz and Richard Israel. The first castle on the same site, built during the late 17th or early 18th century, was owned by David Gottlob von Gersdorf. The military man sold the estate and castle to non other than King Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia in 1718. The Hohenzollern held onto the estate for a good 100 years until they sold it to Baron Eberhard von der Reck(e) in 1812 in order to generate liquid funds. It was von der Reck(e) who built the church located on the castle grounds.  During the course of the 19th century, Schloss Schenkendorf changed hands twice more. First to Meyer Jacobson and, in 1888, to Mo...