Hardeg Castle

The origins of Hardeg Castle date back to the 12th century. Until around 1330, the first castle complex was owned by the noble Lords of Rosdorf. In 1324, Conrad and Ludwig von Rosdorf began constructing the Muthaus, also known as Moshus, and expanded the complex. The 35-meter-high Muthaus is considered the oldest completely preserved secular building in southern Lower Saxony. However, the construction work apparently led to financial difficulties for the Lords of Rosdorf. In 1379, Duke Otto of Brunswick-Göttingen, known as Otto the Wicked, acquired the castle. After his expulsion from Göttingen in 1380, Hardeg became his seat of government, where he died in 1394. Later, the castle served as a dower house for Duchess Margarete. In 1560, the castle's time as a princely residence and dower house ended.