Alberoded Castle

The Edelhof Alberoda (also Wasserburg Edelmannsteich, Wallteich) was a former moated castle in the Alberoda district of Aue in the Ore Mountains. The complex was first mentioned in 1424. After it burned down in 1617, it was rebuilt in the same year.

The current Edelhof dates back to a fortified complex built around 1200, which consisted of a rampart surrounded by a moat. The castle served to protect the old Bohemian road from Zwickau via Hartenstein. Between 1424 and 1536, it was owned by the von Oelsnitz family, followed by Fabian von Ulset and the von Schönburg family. In 1543, the Lords of Schönburg sold their property to Leonhard von Milkau, whereby the Edelhof was elevated to a knight's estate.

The core of the complex is covered by a residential building approximately 11 by 11 meters in side length. The ground floor of this house is constructed of rubble stone with Renaissance surrounds and suggests the use of building materials from the former moated castle. To the west, north, and east, a ditch is preserved as an embankment. This is between 11 and 15 meters wide and 2 to 4 meters deep. The southern section has been filled in. In front of this ditch are remnants of a dam about 5 meters wide and a maximum of 4 meters high. This may be a remnant of the outer wall of the complex.

The foundations of the residential building probably originate from a predecessor building, which was erected in 1543 by the then owner Bernhard von Milkau. After a fire in 1617, it was rebuilt to its current size. The preserved Renaissance portal still shows remnants of the side seats and is marked in the keystone with the initials WF.V.M. (Friedrich Wilhelm von Milkau). The ground floor contains a vault with decorated keystones. The upper floor is wood-paneled. The roof is hipped.

After 1800, frequent changes of ownership of the estate followed, which was rebuilt in 1859 by Carl Gottlob Hofmann. At the end of the 19th century, the moated castle's ditch was filled in. In 1943, the factory owner Bruno Ebert from Lößnitz acquired the Edelhof and made further changes to the building. After the Second World War, the building served as a TB sanatorium for the Aue district hospitals between 1948 and 1958. Since 1953, it has been a protected monument. From 1958, it was used by the LPG "8. März" for residential purposes.

In 1988, private owners acquired the historic building and began its gradual renovation. Since 1991, it has been used as a residence and restaurant.