Apolda Castle

Apolda Castle is located in the town of Apolda, Weimarer Land district, Thuringia. Apolda Castle is situated in the southern part of the current town center, on the site of the former castle, which was also located on the northward-pointing mountain spur.

The castle served to secure the settlement on the right bank of the Ilm and the traffic on the road leading to Jena and Kospoda, and towards Kölleda to the Saale crossing near Neuengönna/Hummelstedt or Dornburg-Dorndorf to the Saale bridge. The castle was probably only responsible for the personal safety of its inhabitants, taking advantage of its natural location. Apolda was already a regional center in Frankish times, where the counts of the Husitin Gau held court. In 1191, a Count Wichmann is mentioned, who was probably the lord of the castle. Since the 13th century, the Vitzthums of Apolda have been documented. They were ministeriales of the Archbishops of Mainz. At the end of the 14th century, the Wettin liege lords replaced the Archbishop. In 1451, the castle was destroyed in the Saxon Fratricidal War. It was largely demolished, and the castle that still stands today was built in its place. Remains of the old castle can still be found within the walls. In the 16th and 17th centuries, structural changes were made to the castle complex. The still-preserved Vitzthum building dates from that time, housing the Culture Department of the Apolda city administration, the registry office, the Apolda branch of the Ottmar Gerster Weimar Music School, the Apolda Cultural Association, and the collection of the Apolda Amateur Theater. On the upper floor of the southwest building, built in the 19th century and renovated in 1999, a hall is used for cabaret events and concerts.