Nöthnitz Castle

The history of Nöthnitz Castle begins with a medieval core, whose land ownership passed from the Diocese of Meissen to the Saxon Electors in 1453. A Nöthnitz manor was first mentioned in 1524. In 1629, Heinrich von Taube acquired the property and had a Renaissance building erected around 1630. This U-shaped, three-winged structure with an octagonal stair tower and vaulted ceilings on the ground floor still defines its appearance today. Following further changes in ownership, the castle came into the possession of Heinrich Graf von Bünau in 1739, who housed his extensive private library there from 1740. Johann Joachim Winckelmann, a prominent archaeologist, worked as a librarian at Nöthnitz Castle from 1748 to 1754. During the Seven Years' War, the castle was severely damaged, and the library had to be sold in 1769.