Althörnitz Castle

Althörnitz Castle was constructed between 1651 and 1654 by master builder Valentin, commissioned by Dr. Christian von Hartig, the mayor of Zittau. The castle, featuring a rectangular layout, is flanked at its entrance by two octagonal towers topped with Baroque domes. The smaller, right-hand tower was added as a stair tower in 1853, while the vestibule is a later addition from 1892. An embedded plaque on the older left tower once bore an inscription dedicating the castle to Christian von Hartig. In the lower floor of this tower, covered by a cross vault, Hartig's son Jakob, together with Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus, a pioneer of Meissen porcelain, conducted alchemical experiments. These experiments led to a fire, after which Tschirnhaus was expelled by the villagers. It is believed that discussions regarding the development of Meissen porcelain took place at Althörnitz. Christian von Hartig was also the first in the region to operate greenhouses and orangeries.