Schlüsselburg Castle

Schlüsselburg Castle was built in 1335 by Ludwig von Braunschweig-Lüneburg, then Bishop of Minden, in response to border conflicts with the Counts of Hoya. They, in turn, fortified their territory with a strong house in Stolzenau. The castle's servants settled in the immediate vicinity, in the outer bailey. The Thirty Years' War and a series of five fires between 1617 and 1711 led to severe impoverishment of the village. A particularly severe fire in 1617 destroyed almost the entire village; only the church, the castle, and a citizen's and bakery house remained. This event is still commemorated today on September 4th with a memorial service. The current manor house was built between 1581 and 1585 under Ludolf von Klencke.