Molsdorf Castle

At the site of the current castle, there was originally a moated castle from the 16th century. The first documented mentions of the Lords of Molsdorf date back to 1114. Ownership changed, including the families of Witzleben and Thüna. In 1616, the property passed to the Counts of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen. The moated castle was transformed into a Renaissance castle before it received its current Baroque form in the 18th century. In 1733, Imperial Count Gustav Adolf von Gotter acquired the estate. He had the castle rebuilt in Baroque style by Gottfried Heinrich Krohne between 1734 and 1740 and added an extensive garden modeled after French designs. Despite support from Frederick the Great and lottery winnings, Gotter had to sell the castle in 1748 due to his high expenditures.