Stolpe Castle

The Stolpe Castle Manor House is located east of the town of Usedom, on the southern edge of the village of Stolpe on the island of Usedom.

The Stolpe estate had been the seat of the Stolpe collateral line of the von Schwerin family since the beginning of the 13th century. The rectangular core building of the manor house was built at the end of the 16th century under Otto von Schwerin (1568–1612) as a typical High Renaissance building. The building was probably partially destroyed during the Thirty Years' War, but the masonry of the two-story Renaissance core building largely remained intact. A reconstruction and simultaneous renovation in the Baroque style took place between 1690 and 1700 under Erdmann von Schwerin (1657–1699). The hipped roof structure, which has been completely preserved to this day, dates from this period.

After not being in family ownership for about 140 years, it returned to the von Schwerin family in 1895. By 1905, Friedrich Graf von Schwerin (1869–1924) had the manor house fundamentally rebuilt. At this time, it acquired its castle-like character in the Historicist style. The building was extended to the west, received three towers and, on the entrance side, an arcade with round-arched windows and a portal in the middle. Inside, the entrance hall was redecorated, receiving a surrounding gallery and a curved staircase.

After the Red Army conquered Usedom in 1945, looting occurred. The last noble owner, Friedrich's widow Freda Gräfin von Schwerin, was dispossessed and expelled by the communists in 1945. In 1949, the central part was demolished and used as building material for other buildings. During the GDR era, it was first used as an MTS (Machine and Tractor Station) and later as an inn and holiday camp. In 1974, the three towers were pulled down to remove the building's castle character. Doors and windows were altered, the facade straightened.

In 1990, the building stood empty and was threatened with decay due to moisture-related structural damage. After belonging to "KULTurBURG Stolpe e. V." for two years, it came into the possession of the municipality of Stolpe in 1996. Renovation work began in the same year. In 2001, a support association was founded. Since the same year, students from the University of Wismar have also been involved in the restoration of the manor house, which was funded by monument protection funds and the European Union. Cultural events have been taking place at Stolpe Castle since 2004.