Schönburg Castle

The first documented mention of Schönburg dates back to 1137. In the 12th century, it was owned by the noble families of Schönburg and Schönberg, and later by episcopal-Naumburg ministeriales. From the 13th century until the Reformation, the castle served as a summer residence for the Bishops of Naumburg/Zeitz. During the Saxon Fratricidal War, the castle was conquered and burned down. With the Reformation, it became the property of the Electors and was leased out. In the 19th century, influenced by Romanticism, Schönburg received renewed attention. Restoration work was carried out, and in 1825, the keep was repaired for use as a viewing point. A notable episode was the founding of the artistic-literary association “Germania” by Friedrich Nietzsche and friends in 1860. Extensive reconstructions in the early 1990s ensured the preservation of the complex.