Gusow Castle

The first mention of the Gusow estate dates back to 1353. In 1649, Field Marshal Georg von Derfflinger acquired the property from the Schapelow family. After Derfflinger's death, his son Friedrich inherited the estate in 1695. In 1724, it passed to General Heinrich Karl von der Marwitz, and in 1744, it was taken over by his son-in-law Otto Friedrich Christoph von Podewils. He had the manor house expanded into a three-wing complex from 1750 and redesigned the baroque garden. His son Friedrich Heinrich von Podewils, who inherited the property in 1781, added a Neo-Gothic ruin to the garden. From 1805, Gusow served as a hunting and summer residence for members of the House of Schönburg. Between 1870 and 1873, the castle underwent a redesign in Neo-Gothic style with Tudor elements, based on plans commissioned by Count Heinrich von Schönburg-Hinterglauchau as early as 1847 and executed by master builder Ferdinand Neubart. After the death of the last count in 1900, his widow, Countess Frieda, lived in the castle until 1943.