Schelenburg Castle

The first documented mention of Schelenburg dates back to 1160, although its origins are presumed to be in the 11th century. The oldest preserved section is the Gothic residential tower, whose walls are 2.5 meters thick and rest on oak piles. In the Middle Ages, this tower was completely surrounded by water and accessible only via a ladder to the first floor. Until the end of the 14th century, the castle served as the ancestral seat of the noble lords of Sledesen. In 1396, ownership transferred to the von Schele family when Rabodo von Schele married the heiress Elisabeth von Sledesen. Since then, the castle has remained continuously in family possession. A fire in 1490 destroyed residential and farm buildings, but spared the residential tower. Between 1500 and 1532, a Renaissance building of quarry sandstone was erected on the foundations of the burnt-down residence, completed by master builder Jörg Unkair in the Weser Renaissance style. Since the mid-1980s, the castle has undergone renovation, including the installation of a new roof.