Plötz Castle

Plötz was first mentioned in a document in 1282. There stood the Plossekenburg or Plötzenburg, the seat of power of the Land Plote. At times, this province with the Plötzenburg belonged to the castellany of Gützkow. The Plötzenburg was also named as the seat of the Sword Brothers of Appeldorn.

Plötz became a feudal knight's estate and, in the first records, belonged in parts to the families von Speckin and von Maltzahn, followed by the von Mardefeld. The government councilor Gustav von Mardefeld sold the estate in 1701 to Hans Gotthilf von Kirchbach. In 1719, the property then passed to Friedrich Ehrenreich von Ramin, who bequeathed it to his three sons, who successively passed it on to the youngest brother. He had three daughters as descendants. Two later renounced with severance payments, leaving Charlotte Elisabeth Christine von Ramin, who was married to Colonel Hans Friedrich Wilhelm von Trebra. Their children received the feudal right to Plötz in 1793, but then also relinquished it.

From 1793, the von Heyden family, with Wichert Wilhelm (†1836), was in possession of the estates. He was succeeded by his youngest son Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Wichert von Heyden (*November 16, 1823), who was still the owner in 1865 according to Berghaus' report. In 1865, Plötz had 142 inhabitants with 5 hearths and 1 windmill. In total, the Plötz estate with its outworks had 1 owner, 3 administrators, 52 servants, and 41 day laborers.

The manor house in Tudor style was built in 1866, a special feature is the square tower. The builder was Carl Ludwig Wilhelm Wicherd von Heyden (1823-1882).

The last owner of the 1000 ha Plötz estate until 1945 was Detloff von Heyden. Like all estate owners after 1945, he was forcibly expropriated and expelled by the communists.

After 1945, the manor house was used as a residence for refugees, later it was an apprentice dormitory. Emptied in 1990, it was left to decay, like many of the manor houses. Only many years later was it privatized and has been restored since then.