Rhoden Castle

The origins of Rhoden Castle date back to the early 13th century, when the Counts of Schwalenberg extended their influence into the region. Between 1228 and 1230, a castle was built on the Hagenberg, first documented in 1237. This fortification, which served to protect the locality, became the center of the northern Waldeck territory. The castle frequently changed hands, was mortgaged, and was under the rule of various noble families and bishoprics. It was not until 1452 that Count Wolrad I of Waldeck succeeded in bringing the complex back into the possession of the County of Waldeck. After inheritance disputes around 1508, the county was divided, and Rhoden Castle fell half to the Eisenberger and Wildunger lines. Count Georg Friedrich decided in 1645, shortly before the end of the Thirty Years' War, to renovate and expand the old castle. Under the direction of the Dutch master builder Peter Jeanson and according to plans by the French architect Belle-Roche, the current palace was built from 1647 to 1654.