Osterstein Castle
Encyclopedia
Osterstein Castle is the former castle of the town of Zwickau
, Germany
, in Saxony
(Bundesland Sachsen). Now it houses the nursing home.
, in 1587 - 1590 as a magnificent Renaissance
castle
.
In the 18th century Zwickau Prison (Zuchthaus Zwickau) was established in the castle, which with interruptions was used until the period after the Second World War. There were numerous prominent prisoners, including Karl May
, August Bebel
, Rosa Luxemburg
and Martin Hoop
.
During the Second World War, it was used as a concentration camp. On 31 December 1962, after 187 years, the use of the castle as a prison ended, although a public bathhouse continued to operate in an intermediate wing of modern construction, on the Dr.-Friedrich-Ring. The former arsenal and the cell block were used to house the archives of the local coal mining industry, and for storage by various local businesses. Parts of the premises were demolished.
From the 1980s, the castle structure deteriorated rapidly. During the 1990s and into the early years of the 21st century, various proposals for its reuse and plans for its re-construction and re-development repeatedly came to nothing. The castle in its decay became increasingly a blot on the urban landscape of Zwickau town centre, and a cause of civic embarrassment. After 2000 emergency measures were required to secure the building's safety.
Eventually, on 3 November 2006 the foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction of the castle. The work was undertaken by GP Schuppertbau GmbH, who after repair, restoration and rebuilding converted the former castle into a nursing home, with future plans for some parts of the complex for restaurant and museum use. On 9 September 2007 the topping-out ceremony took place. On 7 November 2008 the keys were formally handed over to the Betreibergesellschaft Senioren- und Seniorenpflegeheim GmbH Zwickau, the company that runs the old people's home and nursing home; the first residents moved in on 11 November 2008.
Zwickau
Zwickau in Germany, former seat of the government of the south-western region of the Free State of Saxony, belongs to an industrial and economical core region. Nowadays it is the capital city of the district of Zwickau...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
(Bundesland Sachsen). Now it houses the nursing home.
History
First mentioned in 1292 as "Castrum Czwickaw", it was badly damaged in a fire of 1403, and demolished between 1404 to 1407 under William I, Margrave of Meissen. It was rebuilt during the reign of Christian I, Elector of SaxonyChristian I, Elector of Saxony
Christian I of Saxony was Elector of Saxony from 1586 to 1591.He was the sixth but second surviving son of Elector Augustus of Saxony and Anna of Denmark...
, in 1587 - 1590 as a magnificent Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
castle
Castle
A castle is a type of fortified structure built in Europe and the Middle East during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars debate the scope of the word castle, but usually consider it to be the private fortified residence of a lord or noble...
.
In the 18th century Zwickau Prison (Zuchthaus Zwickau) was established in the castle, which with interruptions was used until the period after the Second World War. There were numerous prominent prisoners, including Karl May
Karl May
Karl Friedrich May was a popular German writer, noted mainly for adventure novels set in the American Old West, and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East . In addition, he wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America...
, August Bebel
August Bebel
Ferdinand August Bebel was a German Marxist politician, writer, and orator. He is best remembered as one of the founders of the Social Democratic Party of Germany.-Early years:...
, Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg
Rosa Luxemburg was a Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and activist of Polish Jewish descent who became a naturalized German citizen...
and Martin Hoop
Martin Hoop
Martin Hoop was a district leader in the Communist Party of Germany in Saxony and a supporter of the Weimar Republic presidential candidate Ernst Thälmann.-Life:Hoop was born in Lägerdorf northwest of Hamburg...
.
During the Second World War, it was used as a concentration camp. On 31 December 1962, after 187 years, the use of the castle as a prison ended, although a public bathhouse continued to operate in an intermediate wing of modern construction, on the Dr.-Friedrich-Ring. The former arsenal and the cell block were used to house the archives of the local coal mining industry, and for storage by various local businesses. Parts of the premises were demolished.
From the 1980s, the castle structure deteriorated rapidly. During the 1990s and into the early years of the 21st century, various proposals for its reuse and plans for its re-construction and re-development repeatedly came to nothing. The castle in its decay became increasingly a blot on the urban landscape of Zwickau town centre, and a cause of civic embarrassment. After 2000 emergency measures were required to secure the building's safety.
Eventually, on 3 November 2006 the foundation stone was laid for the reconstruction of the castle. The work was undertaken by GP Schuppertbau GmbH, who after repair, restoration and rebuilding converted the former castle into a nursing home, with future plans for some parts of the complex for restaurant and museum use. On 9 September 2007 the topping-out ceremony took place. On 7 November 2008 the keys were formally handed over to the Betreibergesellschaft Senioren- und Seniorenpflegeheim GmbH Zwickau, the company that runs the old people's home and nursing home; the first residents moved in on 11 November 2008.