Altengottern Castle

The origins of Altengottern stretch far back, possibly to a royal court of Emperor Henry II, whose presence there is documented in 1017. It is believed that a moated castle already existed on the Unstrut at that time, protecting the road across the river. From 1155, Ekkehardt von Gottern is mentioned as a vassal, followed by the Lords of Gottern, who served as castle owners from 1180 to 1316. From 1440, the Lords of Hagen took possession. In 1632, Rudolf Levin Marschall von Herrengosserstedt married the heiress Anna Gertrud von Hagen. The village and castle of Altengottern were severely damaged in the Thirty Years' War in 1641, and the Marschalls, like other residents, had to flee. Reconstruction began in 1650 and lasted until around 1700, during which the central part of the castle and the churches of St.