Krosigk Castle

Krosigk Castle is a castle ruin at about 176 m above sea level in the locality of Krosigk, municipality of Petersberg in Saalekreis, Saxony-Anhalt. The castle is a small ministerial castle. The keep from the 12th century, remains of the curtain wall, and remains of the very wide moat are preserved. All other medieval buildings were built over in later epochs.

The origin of the castle is associated with Dedo von Krosigk (Teto de Crozuc), who came from Franconian nobility. He first appears as a witness in a document of Bishop Walram of Naumburg in 1103. Dedo's importance becomes clear when one considers a historical event.

Wiprecht von Groitzsch the Younger, leader of the Saxon noble opposition against Emperor Henry V, found refuge on Dedo's estates in 1115 when he was persecuted for his oppositional stance. From this, it can be concluded that Dedo must have had a not inconsiderable influence in the environment of the imperial court. The noble family was probably related to the anti-king Hermann von Salm, to whose followers Wiprecht belonged.

The massive parts of the castle were probably built around the time of Dedo's first mention. Evidence of older fortifications has not yet been found.

Also in the 13th century, the Krosigk family had great influence on imperial politics. Konrad von Krosigk was elected Bishop of Halberstadt in 1201. He was a leading participant in the Fourth Crusade and had great influence on the decision of the crusaders to conquer Constantinople, where Christians fought against Christians.

In 1207, Konrad's brother, Friedrich von Krosigk, sold some estates in Krosigk for 25 marks to Archbishop Albrecht of Magdeburg.

In the further course of the 13th century, the importance of the noble family declined. In 1260, they are mentioned as vassals of Count Dietrich von Brehna. Around 1280, the family must have died out. The counts then appointed ministerials from their own retinue to the lordship. The Lords of Garsena, a burgmann family, adopted the name of their new seat as their family name only a few years later and founded the lower noble branch of the Krosigk family. This family resided at the castle until the 15th century.

After the extinction of the Counts of Brehna, the Ascanian Duke of Saxony became the feudal lord in 1290. In 1308, he designated the castle as the dowry for his sister. Her husband, Friedrich von Meißen, pledged it to Heinrich von Köckeritz. After many further pledges, the lordship finally came into the possession of the Archbishopric of Magdeburg in the 14th century.

From 1421, the von Trotha family appeared as buyers of individual estates in the Krosigk lordship. From 1423 to 1439 and from 1444 to 1451, the von dem Winckel family held the castle as a fief. Finally, in 1451, the archiepiscopal marshal Thilo von Trotha and his brother Hermann were enfeoffed with the castle by Archbishop Günther of Magdeburg. The family owned the lordship until 1813.

On October 23, 1644, the castle was destroyed by the Swedes. When the reconstruction took place is unknown. In 1701, Wolf Friedrich von Trotha built the manor house on the site of the outer bailey and in 1703 the chapel. In 1813, the von Trotha family had to sell the indebted estate.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, the buildings were used by agricultural enterprises.

After years of use by the LPG (Agricultural Production Cooperative) and as a kindergarten, the complex now belongs to the municipality and is freely accessible. The tower can be climbed for the village festival on the 2nd weekend of June each year.