Beetzendorf Castle

Beetzendorf Castle, formerly also known as Becendorf, is the ruin of a lowland castle (moated castle) in the municipality of Beetzendorf in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel district in Saxony-Anhalt.

The castle was built around 1200 in marshy terrain, and its first mention was in a document around 1204, where the castle complex came into the hands of the von der Schulenburg family as a pledge from the von Kröcher family. Since 1340, the castle has been owned by the von der Schulenburg family, after they had left their ancestral seat, the Schulenburg near Stappenbeck close to Salzwedel. Beetzendorf became the family's main residence in the following centuries. The possessions here and in Apenburg were their ancestral estates, which secured the core of their manorial lordship until the 19th century.

By around 1600, Beetzendorf Castle was fortified with moats. The castle complex enhanced the family's status, which from then on was considered "schlossgesessen" (castle-seated), belonging to the upper tier of the Altmark nobility. In the 17th century, members of the noble family settled in the village of Beetzendorf and the surrounding area, rendering the fortifications useless. During the Thirty Years' War, the castle was no longer defensible. The last cannon was sold in 1642, and in 1780, further parts of the castle complex were demolished. Today, only ruins of the castle remain, located in the high forest of Beetzendorf Park. These include the northern castle gate, which was reconstructed in the 19th century and to which an open-air stage was added in the 20th century. Not far from it is the approximately 20-meter-high keep made of red brick on a base area of 8.5 by 8.5 meters, with an entrance at a height of 4 meters and a wall thickness of one meter. The baroque garden is still preserved in its basic features.