Ratibor Castle

Ratibor Castle is a hunting lodge in Roth in Middle Franconia. It is located at the southern end of Roth's main street and has an inner courtyard and a small park. George the Pious, Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, had it built between 1535 and 1537.

The castle was built in the style of the German Early Renaissance, but still shows some late Gothic stylistic elements. The construction was mainly financed by revenues from the Upper Silesian double principality of Opole-Racibórz, which was pledged to the Dukes of Brandenburg-Ansbach from 1532 to 1551. The naming of Ratibor Castle on the Retzet (Rednitz) derives from the residential city of Racibórz.

In 1791, with the abdication of the last Margrave of Brandenburg-Ansbach, the manufacturer Johann Philipp Stieber acquired the building and established a factory for Leonine goods there. From 1858 to 1892, the regional court was housed in one wing.

From 1892 to 1916, Wilhelm von Stieber had large parts of the building redesigned in the Late Renaissance style by artists such as Ferdinand Wagner, Rudolf von Seitz, Friedrich Wanderer and Conradin Walther, for example, the magnificent hall with ceiling paintings from ancient mythology as well as

In 1942, the castle was given to the city of Roth as a gift. It has been used in various ways ever since. The city library and the city archive are housed in the former stables, the city museum on the second floor of the wings surrounding the courtyard, and the municipal tourist information in part of the ground floor. The main building houses a restaurant. In summer, the inner courtyard is used for the performance of the castle courtyard plays.

In 2006 and 2007, the facade and parts of the interior were completely renovated.