Wurzen Castle

Wurzen Castle is a castle in Wurzen in the Saxon district of Leipzig. It was built from 1491 to 1497 in late Gothic style, already with elements of the early Renaissance, by Bishop Johann VI von Saalhausen as a bishop's residence.

The massive building on a rectangular floor plan with the southeastern and northwestern corners, as well as the deep, dry moat with the medieval drawbridge, characterize the transition from a medieval castle to a late Gothic palace.

The room layout, the spiral staircase, the ogee arch windows on the towers and on the first floor, and especially the cell vaults with net-like figuration inside, indicate direct connections with Albrechtsburg Castle in Meissen, whose master builder Arnold von Westfalen significantly initiated castle architecture in Saxony. The construction costs amounted to 14,000 Reichstalers. With the exception of two destroyed towers, the castle has survived various war dangers and fires.

In 1631, the two towers burned down and were thus severely damaged. Many valuable details adorn the building, such as the late Gothic niche portal, above which is a coat of arms stone. In the entrance hall there is a high net cell vault; in total, the castle contains more than 40 net cell vaults of various sizes.

Bishop Johann VI von Saalhausen had it built as a bishop's seat at the end of the 15th century. Wurzen Castle was the residence of the Bishops of Meissen until 1581. On October 20, 1581, the last Bishop Johann IX von Haugwitz abdicated. After that, the building served as the seat of the Wurzen Collegiate Office until 1856. Later, the building was used by the district court and after 1945 also by the police.

On June 17, 2002, the Wedekind family bought the property. One year later, on August 17, 2003, the gastronomic part (cellar and ground floor of the main building) was completed. In August 2004, the hotel in the annex (the granary) with twelve double rooms and one single room was opened. In total, Wurzen Castle comprises 6,600 m² of land and 3,300 m² of spatial area.