Bredenbeck Castle

The Knigge family acquired the complex in 1338 and developed it into a defensible moated castle. In 1370, Duke Magnus II pledged the castle to the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim. After a fire in 1550, it was rebuilt, further enhancing its defensive capabilities. In 1752, Adolph Freiherr Knigge, an Enlightenment writer, was born at the castle; a memorial plaque on the staircase base of the estate commemorates him. From 1804, the Knigge family began mining in the Deister hills, which led to an economic boom for the town of Bredenbeck. The estate also included a brewery and a lime kiln.