Steuerwald Castle

Bishop Heinrich II von Woldenberg had Steuerwald Castle built between 1310 and 1313 as a fortification against the citizenry of Hildesheim. Under Bishop Otto II von Woldenberg, the complex was expanded from 1313 to 1331, creating two moats and an intervening rampart. From 1346, it served as the permanent residence for the Bishops of Hildesheim. In 1594, a watermill was constructed within the castle. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle suffered damage and was besieged and conquered multiple times, with Lüneburg troops destroying the fortifications in 1632. Bishop Clemens August I of Bavaria had the palas rebuilt and damages repaired in 1728, but simultaneously began constructing a new residence at the Domhof. Steuerwald Castle remained a bishop's residence until 1763, before being secularized in 1803 and converted into a state domain.