Alvensleben Castle

The Bishops of Halberstadt founded Alvensleben Castle to protect the archdeaconry. An initial, albeit unconfirmed, mention dates back to 964. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the episcopal ministerial family of Alvensleben served as castle bailiffs. In the early 14th century, the bishop's castle passed into the possession of the Archbishops of Magdeburg, who often pledged it. From 1534 to 1598, it was restored by Gebhard XVII von Alvensleben and his sons. Later, it served as an administrative seat until operations were moved to the Alvensleben market in 1649 and the bailiff's seat in 1685, after which the castle, except for its tower, fell into disrepair. The Margrave's Castle was built before 1245 by the Margraves of Brandenburg next to the bishop's castle and was enfeoffed to the Lords of Veltheim in 1439. They expanded it with a manor house in the 18th century and named it Veltheimsburg. Renovations took place in 1882 and 1910. A third castle, the Knight's Castle, was built in the early 13th century by Gebhard I von Alvensleben and later sold to the Bishop of Halberstadt; its exact location, however, remains unclear.