Bremervörde Castle

The origins of Bremervörde Castle date back to the early 12th century, when Lothar III. had the Castrum Voerde built between 1112 and 1122 at a ford across the Oste on the Oxen Way. After changing owners, the complex came into the possession of the Archbishopric of Bremen in 1219 and developed into the largest fortress in the region. It served as a residence for several Bremen bishops and as an administrative center. In the 16th century, the castle was expanded into a Renaissance palace using materials from the Bevern brickworks. At the beginning of the Thirty Years' War, the complex presented itself as a fortified island with a multi-winged palace, a bastioned outwork, and gardens. During the war and the Danish-Swedish Wars, the castle was besieged multiple times and damaged.