Planitz Castle

Planitz Castle is a castle in the Planitz district of Zwickau, whose origins date back to the 12th century.

Destruction, decay, and reconstruction over the centuries ultimately led to the baroque castle ensemble preserved to this day, which was built under Johann Georg II von Arnim in 1712. Part of the castle is the popular Planitz Castle Park, which was laid out under the direction of Isolde von Arnim between 1868 and 1872 in place of the castle garden.

After the end of its period of private use as a castle in the first half of the 20th century, the ensemble was used for various purposes. In March 1935, after a renovation, the castle was converted into a town hall, which also housed the savings bank. Later uses included a military hospital, then briefly a barracks for about 60 Soviet soldiers, and from about 1948, the castle temporarily served as accommodation for Wismut workers. From 1955, the castle was then used as a school for the German People's Police and as the headquarters of the Transport Police.

After renovation and restoration between 1991 and 1993, the Clara-Wieck-Gymnasium, an educational institution with a focus on music and arts, moved into the buildings of Planitz Castle.