Lichtenburg Castle

The castle's origins trace back to a main branch of the Antonine Order, known as Haus Lichtenbergk, first documented in 1315. Here, Martin Luther met Georg Spalatin, the Chancellor of the Saxon Elector, in 1518, who assured him of support for his reform efforts. Following the dissolution of the monastery in 1525 due to the monks embracing the new faith, the estate served as a refuge for Electress Elisabeth of Brandenburg from 1536 to 1546. Later, Elector August I of Saxony had the monastic buildings demolished and, at the request of his wife Anna, erected a Renaissance castle named Lichtenburg. A resident was Electress Hedwig, who resided here as a widow from 1611 to 1641.