Vitzenburg Castle

The origins of Vitzenburg Castle lie in a fortress, presumably founded in the 9th century. The Vizenburg was first documented between 881 and 899 in the tithe register of Hersfeld Monastery. In 979, Emperor Otto II again confirmed the tithe obligation for the "castellum Uitzanburch" in favor of Memleben Monastery. In 991, the nobleman Brun and his wife Adilint founded a women's monastery within the castle, which was placed under the protection of Otto III. After more than a hundred years, the nunnery was converted into a monastery around 1112. Later, in 1121, Emperor Henry V transferred Vitzenburg Abbey to the Bishop of Bamberg, and the monastery was dissolved in favor of the newly founded Reinsdorf Monastery. After the death of Wiprecht von Groitzsch, the castle passed into the possession of the Wettin dynasty. The Treaty of Weißenfels in 1249 stipulated the destruction of Vitzenburg, but details are unknown. In 1255, Meinhard von Querfurt, lord of Vitzenburg, joined the Teutonic Order in Prussia, but returned in 1261 and handed the castle over to his brother Gebhard XI. The Schenken von Saaleck and Nebra received the castle in 1262 as a sub-fief. In the 14th century, the feudal lordship passed to the Archdiocese of Magdeburg, and the noble lords of Querfurt acquired the castle. After the death of Protze von Querfurt in 1426, his sons sold part of the castle to Hans von Selmenitz in 1464. A fire destroyed the rectory and the outer bailey in 1492. In 1521, the heavily indebted Selmenitz brothers sold their shares to Joachim von Lichtenhayn. Between 1574 and 1587, under Nickel and Valten von Lichtenhayn, the partially burned outer bailey was rebuilt and renovated. In 1586/87, under Valten von Lichtenhayn, the castle was transformed into a two-winged Renaissance castle with a stair tower. In 1649, the castle passed to Hans Heinrich II von Heßler. Under his descendants, a manor was built in front of the castle in 1665, and the north wing was extended in Baroque style in 1695. Around the mid-18th century, the Rentamt (revenue office) was built on the north wing.

Vitzenburg Castle is located in Querfurt-Vitzenburg in the Saalekreis district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated at an elevation of approx. 164 m above sea level.

Vitzenburg Castle is currently privately owned.

• Gutshaus Zingst (manor house), approx. 0.6 km away
• Neues Schloss Nebra (castle), approx. 1.6 km away
• Burgruine Nebra (castle ruin), approx. 1.6 km away
• Pfalz und Kloster Memleben (sacred building), approx. 6.1 km away