Bärenklause Manor

In 1288, the farming settlement of Kolchowe (from Old Sorbian Kolčov = clearing) was first mentioned in documents. In the late Middle Ages, the settlement fell into disuse; after 1445, two "besessene Mann" (landowners) lived in Goltzscha again, and in 1547, there were even eight. Hans Christof von Bernstein, landlord of Kleinborthen, established a manor farm in the village in 1554 and dispossessed the farmers to enlarge his estate. The manor hamlet was named after him – Bernklause – and received the status of a knight's estate (Rittergut) in 1606. In 1636, the entire village, except for the manor itself, was destroyed by Swedish mercenaries; the inhabitants were driven out or killed. After the Thirty Years' War, Hans Bernhard acquired the wasteland again as a fief and resettled farmers. The manor, still holding the old status of a "schriftsässiges Rittergut" (a knight's estate with special legal privileges), enjoyed special rights within the Margraviate of Meissen, such as jurisdiction over Gombsen, Golberode, and Kautzsch. In 1825, ownership transferred to Ferdinand Alexander von der Becke, who had a new manor house built in 1840 in addition to the old one. In 1880, the manor house was rebuilt. Karl Höhne, owner of the Bärenschänke in Dresden, which was completely destroyed in the bombing nights of 1945, was the last owner of the estate until his expropriation by the communists in 1945. After 1945, apartments were set up, and in 2003, the new manor house was auctioned off to a private owner.