Neu-Asseburg Castle

Neu-Asseburg Castle is a small hunting lodge built in 1596 by the Counts of Asseburg, a noble family originating from near Braunschweig. The hope for mineral resources such as gold and copper prompted the Count to buy a large plot of land in the Mansfeld region. The castle was built, and afterwards it was discovered that the investment was made too far north of the regional copper veins. The property was sold again.

After a series of constantly changing owners, the property fell into the possession of the Prussian king, who bequeathed the castle to his illegitimate children. This Mr. Prillewitz, the king's illegitimate son, also had no luck with the property; his children died at a young age. Even today, three large graves with large inscribed gravestones can be seen on the castle hill.

After the assassination attempt on Hitler, one of the conspirators, the Lord Mayor of Leipzig Carl Friedrich Goerdeler, hid here with the then owner of Neu-Asseburg, Carl Wentzel. Goerdeler then fled further to Kassel, where he was betrayed by a cleaning lady out of fear. He managed to escape from Kassel but was apprehended by the Gestapo on his way east. Wentzel initially fled to the north of Saxony-Anhalt. Both were sentenced to death and executed in Plötzensee.

During this time, Neu-Asseburg also housed the Reich Labour Service, the Hitler Youth, and a nursing school, which was expanded into a retirement home. In 1945, the owners were dispossessed and expelled by the communists. Thereafter, the castle served as a retirement home until 1990. After reunification, the property was sold to the Johanniter and is currently for sale again.