Scharzfels Castle

The origins of Scharzfels Castle likely date back to the 10th or 11th century. An early mention appears in a letter from Emperor Otto I in 952, in which he donates the castle to the Pöhlde Monastery. It later came into the possession of the Counts of Lauterberg and became an imperial fief in the 11th century. Emperor Lothar of Süpplingenburg acquired the castle in 1131 and elevated it to an imperial fortress. It served as the seat of various noble families, including the Counts of Scharzfeld and later the Counts of Hohnstein. In the 17th century, Scharzfels functioned as a state prison, known for the escape of Eleonore von dem Knesebeck in 1697. During the Seven Years' War, the castle was conquered by French troops in 1761 after a ten-day siege and subsequently blown up, reducing it to a ruin.