Friedrichstein Castle (Bad Wildungen)

The castle's origins trace back to 1200 when Count Friedrich von Thüringen had a Gothic castle built on the hill. This served as an administrative and judicial seat. In 1260, the complex became the property of the Counts of Waldeck. Count Josias II von Waldeck began the conversion into a Baroque residence in 1663, inspired by French Baroque models. By his death in 1669, the west wing and the main building were completed. A rusticated portal with a coat of arms and a Baroque staircase were created. His widow had an older wing demolished in 1678 and a new gate wing built, while the medieval round tower was preserved. Count Friedrich Anton Ulrich von Waldeck, who gave the castle its current name, completed the construction between 1707 and 1714. He had the south wing with its terrace and the two smaller side wings built, incorporating impressions from his travels. Masters Andrea Gallasini and Carlo Ludovico Castelli created the stucco work and ceiling paintings in the Grand Ballroom between 1715 and 1719. Later, Rococo decorations by Markus Christoph Krau and overdoors by Johann Valentin Tischbein followed.