Confessions of a Castleholic

Schloss Marienburg (top left), Schloss Erbach (bottom left) and Kloster Bronnbach Imagine you could trace back your family's history hundreds and hundreds of years. They were counts, dukes, kings, ruled the people and amassed a fortune - or at least dutifully served thus who did. Now most of what is left is a big pile of stones, also known as castles. But you neither rule the people (and could thus raise taxes) nor have a fortune left. What to do with that castle? If you are a minor noble from a little known family, all you can do is to hustle and bustle and hope for the best, try to find someone who wants to buy it or ultimately let your castle fall into ruins. If your ancestors were well-known and actually ruled the region, chances are that the castle is of historical and cultural importance and thus the state may be willing to take if off your hands. Today, let's have a look at several examples of that in Germany. Schloss Marienburg , of course, is still on everybo...

If you have been a regular follower of Confessions of a Castleholic  over the past couple of years, you could have gotten the impression that the modern German state of Lower Saxony comprises only of former Guelph territories. While large areas of the current federal state were indeed part of the former Kingdom of Hanover or Duchy of Brunswick, there are two other former monarchies making up today's Lower Saxony: The small Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe around Bückeburg as well as the much larger Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. During the days of the monarchy, today's Schloss  served as the main residence of the Counts, Dukes and finally Grand Dukes. The earliest castle on the same spot as today's Schloss dates back to around the year 1100. It was built by the Counts of Oldenburg to control a trading route between Westphalia to the south and East Frisia to the north of Oldenburg. Due to the swampy grounds, the castle was based on stilts. During the course of the 15t...

Just a few metres away from the Oldenburger Schloss lies another, smaller royal residence known as the Prinzenpalais (prince's palace). It was Grand Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Oldenburg who commissioned the construction of the palace in June 1821. He intended for the palace to be used by his two orphaned grandsons, the princes Peter and Alexander, sons of Prince Georg of Oldenburg and Grand Duchess Catherine Pavlovna of Russia. Construction on the two-storey Classicist Prinzenpalais was finished by 1826. However, the two princes only lived at the palace for three years as Alexander moved to Russia following the deaths of both his older brother and grandfather in 1829. His cousin Nikolaus Friedrich Peter took over the property in 1852 about a year before succeeding to the throne as Grand Duke Peter II of Oldenburg. He made several changes to the structure during the 1860's including the addition of a second and third wing by architects Carl Boos and Heinrich Strac...

The Erbprinzenpalais in Rastede, these days mostly shortened to Palais , lies across the country road from Schloss Rastede  near Oldenburg in a small English landscape park. After several changes in ownership, it was Grand Duke Peter Friedrich Ludwig of Oldenburg who purchased the original building, presumably built by a member of the noble Schmettau family, for his son and heir Peter Friedrich August in 1822. The palace was henceforth known as the Erbprinzenpalais (Hereditary Prince's palace). To reflect the status of the family, the original single-floor lodge was enhanced by the addition of a two-storey avant-corps.  The full second floor was added later on by the future Grand Duke Nikolaus Friedrich Peter - Those Oldenburgs do love their triple names, don't they?! - in his day as the Hereditary Grand Duke. It was also Nikolaus Friedrich Peter who gave the small palace its current outer appearance combining historicism and Gründerzeit elements alike during renova...

Last Sunday, I asked you what to do with Confessions of a Castleholic  because there were no castle I had previously visited left to write about on here. While you did shoot me some great ideas over on Twitter what I could do, I just couldn't help myself - and I went castle hunting again! This time, I went Oldenburg, the capital of the former Grand Duchy of the same name in Northern Germany, and also made the way to the small town of Rastede nearby, where the family's summer residence was located. While the major Schloss in Oldenburg is now owned by the state of Lower Saxony, this gem is still in the hands of the ducal family. Schloss Rastede received its current appearance under the order of Grand Duke Paul Friedrich August of Oldenburg in 1838 replacing a previous Baroque palace located on the same site. The origins of the estate go back even further all the way to the 11th century when an abbey was founded in the village. Religious life at Rastede, however, came t...

Almost a week ago, Hereditary Prince Ferdinand of Leiningen and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia celebrated their religious wedding in Amorbach with yours truly in attendance as an onlooker. High time for my last post on the wedding guests. I'm sure there were many more royals and nobles in attendance without being recognised by my friends or me.   Duke Konstantin of Oldenburg.  Duchess Esther of Oldenburg.  From left (but not with certainty): Princess Johanna Reuss (?), Sophia Mautner-Markhof (?), Baroness Nina (née Countess of Zech) and Baron Otto-Magnus of Stackelberg, as well as Prince Heinrich XXIV Reuss.  On the left: Prince Jean Friedrich of Lippe and half-hidden on the right Prince Rudolf of Lippe. Princess Anastasia of Wertheim-Löwenstein-Rosenberg. Count Christian-Henri of Stolberg-Stolberg. On the left Gabriella and Hans Rainer Heubach, parents of Princess Isabelle of Leiningen, and on the right Carlotta Heubach, ...

Another day, another post on the wedding of Hereditary Prince Ferdinand of Leiningen and Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia . The couple got married in Amorbach on Saturday and yours truly was there to witness the occasion. Here are a few more guests - once again, a big thank you to everyone who helped along the way! Count Constantin Fugger of Babenhausen and Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg, who got married just a few weeks ago. Another shot of  Princess Sophie of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg  Count Constantin and Countess Esperanza von Berckheim.  Prince Hesso of Leiningen and wife Michaela.  Count Anton of Castell-Rüdenhausen with his mother, the Dowager Princess.  Prince Ludwig of Ysenburg and Büdingen.  Princess Chantal of Ysenburg and Büdingen.  Count Francois of Chastel.  Prince Kraft of Hohenlohe-Oehringen and his wife Princess Katharina. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna and ...