Hohnstein Castle

Hohnstein Castle was probably built around 1200 as a Bohemian border fortress, directed against the Margraviate of Meissen. In 1353, the complex came into the possession of the Bohemian nobleman Hinko Berka von Dubá. It was not until 1443, when the Berka von Dubá ceded the castle to Electoral Saxony under Frederick the Gentle through exchange and purchase agreements, that it was first mentioned by name. Nevertheless, it remained a Bohemian fief until 1806. The Wettins later used the castle as a base for hunting and salmon spearing. Hohnstein served alternately as an electoral office, court, and prison. The originally wooden structures were gradually replaced by stone buildings in the 17th and 18th centuries, which even withstood a Swedish siege in 1639. After the dissolution of the administrative seat in 1861, the castle was used, among other things, as a correctional facility for men and from 1919 as a juvenile prison. In 1925, it was converted into a youth hostel, which, with around 1,000 beds, was considered the largest youth hostel in Germany.