Schochwitz Castle

Schochwitz Castle is a castle complex in the Schochwitz district of the Salzatal municipality in the Saale district in Saxony-Anhalt .

history

The structural origins of the castle lie in a medieval castle complex from the 12th century . A drawbridge used to lead out of the gate passage over the now closed moat.

Aerial view of the castle

From 1573 the castle was owned by the von der Schulenburg . The Dompropst zu Havelberg, Levin von der Schulenburg (1528–1587), had the current palace built including the older castle. His coat of arms and that of his wife Fredeke von Alvensleben (1552–1622) from Kalbe , daughter of Joachim I von Alvensleben , are attached to the round bay window . In the inner courtyard, which is surrounded on three sides, an octagonal high stair tower with a Welsch dome and a Renaissance portal rises up in the corner. The builder's son, Levin von der Schulenburg , as a staunch Protestant , allowed a much- noticed public disputation between the Lutheran Albertus Grauerus , rector in Eisleben , and the reformed superintendent Wolfgang Amling from Zerbst at the castle in 1604 . At the bottom of the castle, which is entered through the stair tower, there is a vaulted hall, formerly decorated with the family ancestors, from which the garden can be seen. Above it is a long flight of low living rooms, mostly with Rococo stucco ceilings and old parquet floors.

In 1783 the castle and manor Schochwitz with the Gutsorten Krimpe and Wils to the district administrator Gebhard XXVIII. von Alvensleben (1734–1801) sold to Eichenbarleben Castle . He bequeathed it to his youngest son Johann Friedrich Karl II. Von Alvensleben (1778–1831), who successfully took part in important battles in the liberation wars and was promoted to Prussian lieutenant general in 1829. His descendants also became military personnel, the son was the Prussian Lieutenant General Hermann von Alvensleben (1809–1887) and his son the Prussian Major General Ludolf von Alvensleben (1844–1912). Hermann's cousin Constantin von Alvensleben , the winner of the Battle of Mars-la-Tour in 1870, also enjoyed staying in Schochwitz and had the chapel in Krimpe restored. In the time of National Socialism , the estate belonged to Ludolf's son, the SS group leader and member of the Reichstag, Ludolf-Hermann von Alvensleben . It was run by Carl Wentzel , who was arrested and executed after the assassination attempt on July 20, 1944 , presumably denounced by the heavily indebted SS General Alvensleben. The castle remained in his possession until it was expropriated in 1945 in the Soviet occupation zone ; he fled to Argentina in 1946.

During the GDR era, the building was temporarily the seat of the municipal administration. It was extensively restored after 1990 and is privately owned. The Briton James Richard Welsh bought it in 2006 at a property auction and set up a therapy hotel with his wife Ingrid Straub-Zerfowski, the "Healing Castle" , which offered alternative forms of therapy, such as healing on a "crystal bed on a very powerful energy line". The self-proclaimed "Lord Jim" put it up for sale in 2017, along with its supposed title. In the meantime (2019) he rents it out for weddings and other events.

architecture

During the construction from 1601 to 1606 the castle was provided with defensive systems; there were ramparts, a moat, and a drawbridge. The corner towers were designed like bastions. The ramparts were later removed and the drawbridge was replaced with a stone bridge. The moat was also filled in later .

The palace garden was laid out geometrically after 1730 with square water basins and terraces. Only individual sandstone stairs, statues, avenues and hedge quarters as well as a water mill have been preserved.