Räckelwitz Castle

East of Kamenz lies the small village of Räckelwitz with its castle. Räckelwitz Castle - presumably built around 1750 - with its luminous Maltese cross above the entrance portal, recalls its more recent history of use. The elongated, two-story building with a wide central risalit and the external staircase most recently housed a Maltese hospital. The mansard roof shows two rows of dormer windows.

The Maltese star located on the castle is unmissable. In 1784, the manor came into the possession of Countess Philippina zu Stolberg. Her son, Count Hermann zu Stolberg-Stolberg, finally sold Räckelwitz to the Catholic Count Franz Joseph zu Stolberg-Stolberg, who came from the younger branch of the family. Franz Joseph was a devout man and vowed to build a Catholic church in Räckelwitz in honor of the Virgin Mary. His daughter Monika, who inherited the property in 1878, fulfilled the promise and had a small church with a roof turret added to the manor house between 1883 and 1885.

Monika was also a nun in Belgium, had bequeathed the castle to the Order of Malta in 1902 and stipulated that a hospital should be established there. The hospital of this Catholic order existed between 1903 and 2000.

The castle chapel in the Beuron architectural style is extraordinary. The narrow building with a semicircular choir is equipped with round-arch windows. A frieze runs around the building. Behind the castle is the small castle park, a well-maintained, harmonious complex. Both the castle park and the chapel are accessible to visitors.