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CastleWissen - Schönstein

Schönstein Castle

Schönstein Castle
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To be privately owned

Schloss Schönstein is located in Wissen (Altenkirchen district, Rhineland-Palatinate) and was first mentioned in a document in 1255. Today, Schloss Schönstein is the administrative seat of the Princely Hatzfeldt-Wildenburg Chamber and the residence of the Counts of Dönhoff family.

From 1281, Sconensteyne Castle served as collateral for the Archdiocese of Cologne. In 1589, Hermann von Hatzfeld-Werther received the castle in recognition of his services. By then, the castle had suffered greatly; in 1594, Hermann von Hatzfeldt-Werther estimated the maintenance costs at 16,000 guilders. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was occupied, plundered, and set on fire by Swedish troops, but was rebuilt at the instigation of Wilhelm von Hatzfeld.

Architecture+

The main building, approximately triangular in plan, is a typical perimeter house castle, where the buildings are grouped around an inner courtyard. It has been built on or restored from the Middle Ages to the present day, making its building history quite complex. The brick facades, built at the end of the 16th century, clearly stand out from the older north wing made of rubble masonry. The baroque staircase in the south wing was built in the first half of the 18th century. The two-story wooden gallery on the east wing is interesting. The first floor was built in 1598, and the second floor in 1623.

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Source: Wikipedia · Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Schloss_Sch%C3%B6nstein_2.jpg

This description draws on the facts documented in the linked Wikipedia article; Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Wording and editing: Mobile History.

Location: 50.7768, 7.7506