Köthen Castle

The origins of Köthen Castle trace back to an early medieval Slavic fortress, conquered by Albert the Bear for the Ascanians. The first documented mention of a castle complex dates to 1396. From 1244 to 1847, the ensemble functioned as an Anhalt princely residence and, from 1603, as the seat of the Anhalt-Köthen line. The older, inner castle area includes the Johann-Georg-Bau, built between 1597 and 1599, and the Ludwigsbau. The latter was rebuilt between 1600 and 1608 by the brothers Peter and Franz Niuron from Lugano after a fire. The Ludwigsbau houses the Spiegelsaal (Mirror Hall), originally conceived as a throne room and later designed by Christian Gottfried Bandhauer, who was also responsible for the Ferdinandsbau, built in 1823. The outer castle area, horseshoe-shaped, began in 1766 with the Marstall (stables) in Rococo style and was later supplemented by a coach house (1833) and a riding hall (1821), the latter burning down in 1940.