Bothkamp Manor

Josias Rantzau (1609–1650), a commander in the Thirty Years' War, was born on the Bothkamp estate.

In the mid-19th century, the illustrator and children's book author Fanny von Bernstorff lived and worked at Bothkamp for a time. In 1870, Chamberlain Friedrich Gustav von Bülow had a private observatory established on the edge of the estate. The Bothkamp Observatory became a leading research institution in the field of astrophysics in the following years. Operations ceased in 1914.

Until the 20th century, Gut Bothkamp was one of the largest estates in Holstein, with an area of approximately 6000 hectares. After both World Wars, significant parts were relinquished for settlement purposes. However, it is still a large operation. The estate is privately owned (v. Bülow) and not publicly accessible. A special feature to mention is that the estate possesses two gatehouses.