Lower Castle Geisingen

The Lower Castle Geisingen, also known as Schertelsches Schloss or Old Castle, is a castle in the Freiberg district of Geisingen in the Ludwigsburg district.

In 1486, a moated castle complex was built on the site of the present castle by the Lords of Stammheim. The Schlössle was extended in 1671 by Wolf Ludwig Schertlin von Burtenbach and supplemented by a courtyard with a wine press and a mill. Duke Karl Eugen of Württemberg bought the Schertlin family's properties in Geisingen in 1782. From 1793, the Schlössle, which was connected to the main building, served as the seat of the Württemberg staff officer. In 1818, the still existing tower behind the castle was demolished. In 1843, Württemberg sold the gatehouse to the shepherd Johann Christoph Nirg. Since the wine press served as a school, town hall and granary from the mid-19th century, the building was extended with a half-timbered structure in 1837. In 1856, a fire destroyed the entire main building of the castle. Only the so-called Schlössle survived the fire almost undamaged. One year after the fire, Gustav Werner bought the Schlössle to house a branch of his foundation there. The foundation only gave up the building in 1902. In 1978, the city of Freiberg first bought the main building, followed by the purchase of the gatehouse in 1983. Since 1989, the local history museum of the city of Freiberg has been located in the Schlössle.