Ermschwerd Castle

The origins of the estate date back to 1486, when the village of Ermschwerd and Ziegenberg Castle passed as collateral to Georg von Buttlar. The current manor house was likely commissioned around 1551 by Margarethe von Boineburg, the widow of Erasmus von Buttlar, to provide a residence for her young son Heimbrod. Heimbrod von Buttlar significantly expanded the building in 1585/86, adding a stair tower and a side wing, among other features. The Renaissance portal on the front dates from 1616 and was added by his son Dietrich Hermann. The estate remained in the possession of the Buttlar family until 1813, when it was sold to the state under King Jérôme of Westphalia.