Rotenburg Castle

Rotenburg Castle was built by Landgrave Ludwig II of Lower Hesse in 1470. It is located on the Fulda river in the North Hessian town of Rotenburg an der Fulda.

In 1470, the first fortified castle, built by Ludwig II directly on the left bank of the Fulda, was completed. A large town fire in the old town already destroyed the castle in 1478, so a stone castle was subsequently built. It then became a popular summer residence for the Landgraves and, at times, a residence for Landgravial widows.

In 1540, the morganatic marriage of Landgrave Philipp of Hesse with Margarethe von der Saale was concluded in this castle.

Only between 1571 and 1607 did Landgrave Wilhelm IV of Hesse-Kassel and his son Moritz erect a new four-wing building in the Renaissance style. The building was two-story and had stair towers at all four corners. Of these, the south wing and the stables are still preserved today. This castle was captured in a copper engraving by Matthäus Merian in 1646. He wrote about it:

From 1627 to 1834, the castle was the residence of the Kassel secondary line Hesse-Rotenburg, which governed the so-called Rotenburg Quart. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was plundered several times but not destroyed. In 1750, the west wing was rebuilt in the Baroque style under Landgrave Ernst Constantin. Landgrave Carl Emanuel had the north wing rebuilt in the Empire style in 1790, according to plans by the architect François Ignace Mangin. During this renovation, the east wing was completely demolished.

In 1834, the Landgravial secondary line Hesse-Rotenburg died out, and the Rotenburg Quart, and thus also the castle, reverted to the Electorate of Hesse. In the following period, the castle was inhabited by court officials. After the annexation of Hesse-Kassel by Prussia in 1866, Rotenburg and the castle were in Prussian possession. After long negotiations with the Prussian administration, the castle was then awarded to the Kassel secondary line Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld, which used it as a widow's residence.

In 1932, the town of Rotenburg bought the castle and its associated outbuildings. From 1933 to 1945, some rooms housed the troop leader school of the Reich Labor Service. From 1945, it served as emergency accommodation for refugee families until it became state property in 1953. Since then, the entire castle complex has housed the State Finance School of the State of Hesse.

In addition to the former farm buildings (e.g., stables) in front of the castle, the castle complex today consists of three wings. The inner courtyard opens to the east towards the castle park. The stables are now the seat of the training and further education center of the Hessian Road and Transport Administration.