Jestädt Castle

The origins of Jestädt Castle lie in a fortress from the mid-13th century, which served to secure a Werra ford. In 1561/62, Walrab von Boyneburg-Hohenstein, a former colonel in French service, began constructing the current castle on the foundations of this older complex. His son Friedrich Hermann had the south wing built in half-timbered style in 1612. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle suffered looting and destruction but was renovated in 1637 and subsequently served as the noble residence of the Boyneburgs. After the Jestädt line of the Boyneburg-Hohensteins died out in 1792, the property passed to the Lords of Eschwege in 1795, which was confirmed by a feudal letter from George III in 1802.