Hartenfels Castle

Following the Leipzig Partition of the Wettin dynasty in 1485, which led to a split into an Albertine and an Ernestine line, the Ernestine line lost its main residence, Albrechtsburg Castle in Meißen. Subsequently, Elector Frederick III and his successors had Hartenfels Castle in Torgau expanded into the new main residence. Construction began in the 15th century under Konrad Pflüger and continued in the 16th century by Konrad Krebs. The almost 20-meter-high cantilevered spiral staircase (Wendelstein) in the Johann-Friedrich Wing was designed between 1533 and 1535. The castle chapel, built by Nikolaus Gromann between 1543 and 1544, was personally consecrated by Martin Luther and is considered the world's first newly constructed Protestant church. After the Schmalkaldic War in 1547, the castle passed to the Albertine line. With the relocation of the court to Dresden in the 16th century, it primarily served as an administrative building. In 1815, the castle came under Prussian rule and became part of the Prussian administration of the newly formed Torgau district.