Schmerwitz Castle

The decaying Schmerwitz Castle near Wiesenburg, which Carl Friedrich Brandt von Lindau had built in 1736 as a simple three-winged castle, offers an unusual morbid charm. In 1871/73, an extension with partly Neo-Baroque forms was added. The south wing has been missing since a fire in 1892, and the elaborate facade decoration on the rear dates from the early 20th century. In 1945, the owners were expropriated and expelled by the communists.

Used as a training house for the Soviet Army since 1945, conversions and extensions followed until the 1980s, which did not necessarily adhere to the historical architecture. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the house has been endangered by vacancy and is decaying - an investor is urgently needed. The huge neighboring estate and manor, however, are preserved and, after an interim ownership by the drug self-help association Synanon, now form one of the largest organic farms in Germany with a usable area of 1500 hectares.