Rabenau Castle

Rabenau Castle is the ruin of a spur castle on a 280 m above sea level rock spur above the Oelsabach valley near Rabenau in the Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge district in Saxony.

Confirmation that the castle's foundation dates back to the early days of local mining by the Knights of Theler is lacking. Presumably, the foundation of the Rabenau lordship originated from their Kaitz Castle shortly before or around 1200.

In 1227, the castle was acquired by the Burgraves of Dohna through purchase and was conquered in 1399 by Margrave Wilhelm I of Meissen during the Dohna Feud. The castle lost its strategic importance, gradually fell into disrepair, and in the 19th century, its remains, except for the Gothic gate from 1560, were demolished.

The fortifications included the Eckersdorf outwork to the west, the Oelsa (Kleinoelsa) outwork to the south, and the Obernaundorf (Naundorf) outwork to the east.

Since 1979, the Chair Building and Local History Museum of the City of Rabenau, founded in 1922, has been located in the former outwork of the castle. The chair factory of the Sächsische Holzindustriegesellschaft, founded in 1869/70, was built on the castle hill, from which the upholstered furniture industry located there today developed.