Oberschloss Kranichfeld

Oberschloss Kranichfeld is a Renaissance castle of the former princely house of Reuss, located above the town of Kranichfeld in Thuringia, which emerged from an older castle complex. It is owned by the Foundation of Thuringian Castles and Gardens.

Since the castle complex originated from a medieval castle, it still reflects the division into an outer bailey and a core castle. Surrounded by a still partially preserved ring wall, it still possesses the palas and the ruin of the keep. Its residential building is of Romanesque origin and was altered in the 16th century. The 27 m high keep, also called the "Thick Tower", has been accessible as an observation tower since 2002. A glass dome provides a panoramic view over the Middle Ilm Valley and the surrounding area. A museum in the palas showcases the history of Oberschloss, especially the period after the fire of 1934.

A castle complex of the Lords of Kranichfeld is first mentioned in the 12th century. In the 15th century, under the younger line of the Lords of Reuss, the conversion to a Renaissance castle began. In the following centuries, there were several changes of ownership, until it burned down in 1934, probably due to arson. The last owner gifted it to the Reichsführer SS, Heinrich Himmler. He intended to develop it into a cult site. Concentration camp prisoners from an external commando of Buchenwald concentration camp rebuilt parts of Oberschloss under inhumane conditions.

In 1945, a slow decay of the complex began, which even threatened demolition in 1970. A community of interest tried to stop this from 1981 onwards - with insufficient means during the GDR era. Only when the Foundation of Thuringian Castles and Gardens took over Oberschloss in 1994 could some renovation goals be achieved.

Oberschloss was used, among other things, for exterior shots for the TV fairy tale adaptation "The Devil with the Three Golden Hairs".