Elberberg Castle

Elberberg Castle is a Neoclassical castle with a manor farm and English garden in the Naumburg district of Elbenberg in North Hesse, on the northern slope of the Hardtkopf.

A Gothic predecessor castle was first mentioned in a document in 1235. It was sold to the St. Alban Abbey in Mainz in 1266. In 1386, the Lords of Elben received the castle as a fief.

The stone extension, still preserved today, dates from the 15th century and features a round external staircase built in 1583. Building materials from an older gatehouse were used for its construction; inscribed stones with Gothic minuscules from 1413 were found in the so-called Old Castle. In 1535, the Elben family died out, and the property fell to their co-heirs. Initially, it went to Jakob von Taubenheim and then, in co-ownership, to the Lords of Boyneburg-Hohenstein and the Lords of Buttlar. In 1559, the Boyneburgers sold their share of the castle to the Buttlar family, in whose possession it has been ever since.

The oldest buildings of the manor farm were built in the 18th century. In 1739, the rent office was added, in 1752 the administrator's house, and in 1768 the cowshed. In 1752, a half-timbered house was erected in the farmyard. Chamberlain Rudolph von Buttlar (* 1802; † 1875) had the current Neoclassical castle built according to his plans. First, in 1834, the south building, the so-called Glasshouse, was erected. Subsequently, the north building was expanded, and around 1860/61, the connecting wing with the Knights' Hall was completed.

On January 3, 1875, forester Rudolf von Buttlar died at Elberberg Castle.

Elberberg Castle is today the seat of the Buttlar-Elberberg forest administration, one of the largest private forest administrations in North Hesse.