Königsbrück Castle

The history of Königsbrück Castle begins with a wooden border fortress in the early 13th century, erected on the Pulsnitz, the then-border river between Meissen and Upper Lusatia. A document from St. Marienstern Monastery in 1248 first mentions the toll in Königsbrück, which also marks the first documented mention of the locality. Under the protection of the fortress, a settlement of artisans and a marketplace developed. From 1439, the town was owned by the Burgraves of Dohna, who first referred to their possessions as a lordship in 1527. After the extinction of this line, the fief reverted to the Bohemian crown in 1560 but was sold to Caspar von Dohna in 1562 and elevated to the fourth dominion of Upper Lusatia. In 1704, under Maximilian Freiherr von Schellendorf, the current main castle was built. Later, the castle changed hands several times, including the von Friesen and von Hohenthal families.